International Development Grant
Aid for Trade Initiative - Inter-American Development Bank
Project Number: CA-3-M013274002
Status: Closed
Country/Region: Unknown
Regional Focus:
Maximum Contribution: $10,000,000.00
Start Date: March 23, 2010
End Date: March 30, 2012
Duration: 2.0 years
Project Description
This grant is Canada’s contribution to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for its Aid for Trade programming. The goal of Aid for Trade is to help developing countries to engage effectively in trade negotiations with other countries and to implement trade reforms and projects within their own country. The IDB focuses its Aid for Trade support in four main areas: (i) trade policy trade negotiations and the implementation of trade agreements; (ii) trade facilitation and private sector development; (iii) connecting to markets that are complementary to existing physical infrastructure; and (iv) helping countries reduce barriers to trade. The economic empowerment of women is addressed within each of these areas. Activities include helping countries to overcome obstacles to trade; helping producers gain greater access to global agricultural markets; and increasing coordination between donor countries and beneficiary countries with respect to trade programming at the global level. The Aid for Trade Initiative was launched in 2005 as a result of an agreement between World Trade Organization members to help developing countries use trade as an engine for growth and poverty reduction. The Aid-for-Trade Initiative helps developing countries build the production capacity and trade-related infrastructure needed to implement and benefit from trade agreements and to expand their trade. It also supports the implementation of trade facilitation measures and the improvement of trade standards.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved between 2010 and 2011 include: 1) In the Caribbean national and regional Aid for Trade strategies were developed for Jamaica and Belize. The strategies (a) identify trade constraints across economic sectors; (b) articulate the countries’ trade-related priorities; and (c) propose specific measures to implement the strategies’ recommendations including the identification of funding sources. Strategies for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) are in development. 2) IDB-Aid for Trade has also had an impact in the Caribbean and countries of Central America by introducing measures to increase use of technology in trade facilitation for use by public sector officials. Once implemented these measures will contribute to greater efficiency in processing goods at border crossings of the countries of Central America and the Dominican Republic reducing costs and making the private sector in the region more competitive and able to create and sustain jobs. 3) IDB-Aid for Trade helped create a network for member countries to promote the regional exchange of information the analysis of lessons learned and the establishment of a platform for dialogue and discussion to increase efficiency and reduce trade costs. Tangible results from this project also include the implementation of an electronic certification of origin (document used for international trade) system currently in place between Colombia and Chile and expected between Costa Rica and Chile by the end of 2012. 4) In Chile an IDB-Aid for Trade project has been instrumental in creating an international trade ‘single window’ to help speed up export import and goods transit operations reducing the time and costs of these processes according to international standards recommendations and good practices and applying information technologies. This new integrated commercial platform will allow Chile to reduce time and costs associated with exports and imports by
Key Information
Executing Agency:
IDB - Inter-American Development Bank
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP