Guidelines and guides
Guidelines and guides developed by trade facilitation bodies are important Trade Facilitation Instruments. They provide material and very practical information on trade facilitation processes, techniques and working methods. The following Guidelines and Guides are among the most relevant:
Guides for a specific topic or area
- WCO Economic Competitiveness Package
- WCO Organizational Development Package
- WCO Time Release Study
- WCO Nii Guidelines
- WCO Model Code of Integrity
- WCO Kyoto ICT Guidelines
- WCO Immediate Release Guidelines
- WCO Guidelines on Mutual Recognition Agreements / Arrangements
- WCO Single Window Compendium
- WCO Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) Implementation Guidance
- World Bank. Developing a Trade Information Portal
- UNNExT Electronic Single Window Legal Issues: A Capacity-Building Guide
- UNNExT Guide for Document Alignment
- UNNExT Guide on Business Process Analysis
- UNNExT Data Harmonisation and Modelling Guide
- ICC/WCF International Certificate of Origin Guidelines
- ICC Uniform Customs and Practices for Document Credits (UCP)
- ICC recommendations for mutual recognition of Non-Preferential Rules of Origin
- ICC Recommendations on Mutual Recognition
- ICC Rules of Conduct
- ICC Model International Sale Contract
- ICC Incoterms
- ICC Guidelines for Cross-Border Traders in Goods
- ICC Guidance on Transfer Pricing and Customs Valuation
- ICC Customs Guidelines
- SW Guide for Africa
General trade facilitation guides
- EFTA Trader’s ABC: A Trade Facilitation Manual
- OSCE UNECE Handbook of Best Practices at Border Crossings – A Trade and Transport Facilitation Perspective
- SMEs and the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. A training manual
- ITC: WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement – A Business Guide for Developing Countries
- Technical Notes on Trade Facilitation
- UNECE Evaluation Methodology for Analyzing Procedural and Regulatory Barriers to Cross-border Trade
- UNNExT Single Window Project Implementation Guide
- UNNExT Handbook on Implementing UN/CEFACT e-Business Standards in Agricultural Trade
- UNNExT: Trade Process Analysis Database
- Cross-border Single Window Interoperability: A Managerial Guide
- UNESCAP Designing and Implementing Trade Facilitation
- Paperless Framework for Agrifood Trade Facilitation
- Trade and Transport Facilitation Monitoring Mechanism (TTFMM)
- ESCAP – World Bank: International Trade Cost Database
- World Bank Border Management Modernization
- Trade and Transport Facilitation Assessment
Many country evaluation reports and studies refer to the international trade facilitation ranking of these countries, or the resulting performance situation. These rankings do not provide indications of implementation and are therefore not instruments per se. However, they are often used to assess a country’s situation and measure progress. The UN Regional Commissions conduct the Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation every two years.
The two main indicators are: the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) Doing Business.
In addition, UNECE has developed a Methodology for Analyzing Procedural and Regulatory Barriers to Cross-border Trade.
