UNCTAD, UPU and WTO will co-organize a session at the WTO Public Forum 2016 with a focus on business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and its contribution to international trade flows.
The session will address the following issues:
- what exactly is B2B e-commerce,
- what is required for more enterprises and countries to engage in such transactions,
- how can B2B e-commerce help to increase a firm's competitiveness and what measurement frameworks exist for ongoing monitoring,
- how can firms use and benefit from e-commerce when trading in the global market place, especially small and medium-sized enterprises,
-how can e-commerce facilitate more inclusive trade.
UNCTAD estimates that in 2015 the value of B2B e-commerce amounts to about $20 trillion and B2C e commerce to more than $2 trillion, and both are rising fast. However, there is a lack of authoritative information on the contribution of e-commerce to international trade flows.
This session is part of a wider collaboration project between UNCTAD, WTO and UPU to improve the measurement of cross-border e-commerce.
