The WTO has published on the occasion of Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (27 June) three research papers on the participation of small businesses in international trade and on climate change policies that could help them engage in sustainable practices.
The first research paper looks at the participation of small businesses from developed economies in international trade. It notes that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) participate less than larger firms but their participation has grown in terms of their share of global export and import values in the countries examined in the report.
The second research paper looks into the participation of small businesses in the manufacturing sector in developing countries. It notes that small businesses participate to a greater extent in upstream sectors that are less technology-intensive while in least-developed countries, small businesses have low levels of integration in global value chains and rely primarily on domestic inputs and demand.
The third research note traces connections between international trade policy and climate change and proposes policy interventions that could help small businesses make more rapid progress towards decarbonization. The paper concludes that governments can support small businesses by widely disseminating information on how MSMEs can assess their climate impact and access green finance.
* This article is excerpted from the WTO News website, publication date: June 27th, 2022
