Description
Transparency in Trade (TNT) aims to remedy some of the major gaps in data collection, to improve dissemination, and to place the financing of the associated databases and analytical tools on a firmer foundation. Three international agencies – the International Trade Centre (ITC), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the World Bank – in consultation with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) - have launched a joint multi-year program. The program aims to produce a coordinated effort on data collection, capacity building and open-access provision of tariffs, non-tariff measures, contingent protection, and trade flows. Only with better information on these various classes of border barriers will it be possible to increase transparency and monitor trade policy instruments. The objectives of initiative is to improve the collection of trade data, strengthen the capacity for data collection in developing countries, and support core trade related tools and systems to provide free open-access of collected data. Another objective is to better coordinate the work on trade data among international organizations in order to maximize the benefits for developing countries.