Scoping mission for a Trade Related Assistance project to Mongolia

The Project at A Glance

The EC has stated its intent to focus on activities that can help build the productive capacity of landlocked countries in its assistance programmes: “The poorest countries, especially LDCs and small, landlocked and insular countries require special emphasis on the supply side and increasing the competitiveness of the private sector”. International Economics supported the EC exploring the feasibility of a future TRA project aiming at supporting Mongolian efforts in harnessing external trade opportunities for sustainable and inclusive development.

What We Found

Mongolia is a landlocked country and its economy is strongly based on natural resources and, despite recent double digit GDP growth, due to the discovery and exploitation of large coal and copper deposits, an estimated 27% of its population still lives below the poverty line. It is extremely important for Mongolia to diversify its economy, both for inclusiveness and sustainability.
Conscious of the challenges they are facing, Mongolian authorities have reiterated their interest in a trade related support. Our team supported the EU in a formulation of a project proposal for the envisaged Trade Related Assistance project for Mongolia. The project would aim to support Mongolian in enhancing capacity for FTA negotiations to ensure adequate market access; Strengthening of trade policy analytical capacity in the country; Mainstreaming trade into wider development planning; and Supporting the Mongolian private sector in ripping the benefits stemming from these new trade opportunities.

Our Strategy and Impact

Through a research and two missions held in Mongolia, our team identified a trade capacity building programme for Mongolia and drafted identification report with focus on trade facilitation, competition, trade policy formulation, private sector development and export strategy, GSP+ and strengthening analytical capacity in Mongolia amongst non-state actors.
It was highlighted that Trade and Private Sector Development Programme should take an approach of building private sector institutions with a direct link to supporting the supply side capacity of Mongolia, while also improving its competitiveness. The Programme was proposed to be implemented over 3 years, to support the building of the institutional framework and trade architecture in a sustainable, coherent and comprehensive manner, and that the private sector was able to reap the benefits of Mongolia’s access the generalised system of preferences with the EU and its market access in other WTO members.

Our Core Solutions

As businesses seek to expand operations into new markets, the need to explore global supply chains and understand the international regulatory framework becomes crucial. At International Economics Consulting, we build tailor-made strategies for both import and export-oriented business solutions.