Key Findings from UNCTAD's Status and Outlook for National Trade Facilitation Committees 2025

The UNCTAD report Status and Outlook for National Trade Facilitation Committees 2025 provides a comprehensive assessment of the role, performance, challenges, and future prospects of National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) based on a comparative analysis of these Committees in 68 countries worldwide. The report highlights the increasingly important role they play in making cross-border trade faster, less costly, more predictable, and more resilient. NTFCs have become the principal platform for coordination between government agencies and the private sector in the design and implementation of trade facilitation reforms. At the same time, the report raises concerns about the gap between reported and actual implementation. One of its most striking findings is that progress is frequently overstated: a comparison of WTO notifications and detailed national assessments found that 89% of reported data did not accurately reflect realities on the ground, with most countries having implemented fewer measures than those officially reported.

UNCTAD identifies monitoring and evaluation as the weakest aspect of NTFC performance. Although two-thirds of committees monitor trade facilitation reforms, 65% reported that they lack the necessary tools and capacities to effectively measure implementation and results. UNCTAD therefore calls for stronger tracking systems, field-based assessments, and more evidence-driven approaches to measuring results and implementation progress.

Another important finding is the evolving role of NTFCs. While traditionally focused on improving border procedures and implementing trade facilitation measures, these committees are increasingly involved in addressing broader challenges such as supply chain disruptions, congestion, crisis preparedness, and trade resilience. Approximately half of the committees surveyed reported activities related to managing supply chain shocks and operational disruptions.

The report's findings are especially relevant in the context of growing efforts by regional organizations to establish Regional Trade Facilitation Committees, recognizing that many trade facilitation challenges require coordinated action across multiple countries rather than isolated national interventions, as also highlighted in this ITC study. In particular, the report notes that:

• Many trade facilitation challenges are inherently cross-border and regional in nature, requiring cooperation beyond the national level.
• NTFCs are increasingly dealing with issues such as transit management, trade corridors, border agency coordination, supply chain resilience, and regional trade integration, which cannot be effectively addressed by individual countries acting alone.
• Peer learning and exchanges of experience among NTFCs are valuable tools for improving performance and accelerating reform implementation.
• Effective trade facilitation requires closer cooperation among countries, regional economic communities, and development partners.
• Monitoring implementation gaps could benefit from more coordinated approaches, particularly where reforms involve shared borders, transit corridors, or regional trade agreements.

While the report does not explicitly recommend the establishment of Regional Trade Facilitation Committees, its findings suggest that such mechanisms could serve as useful complements to NTFCs, particularly in regions where trade depends heavily on transit corridors, coordinated border management, and regional integration processes. This is especially relevant in the African context.

The report further highlights the persistent resource constraints facing NTFCs. Despite remaining active (with 83% meeting regularly, 78% engaging the private sector, and 70% conducting training activities) many committees continue to face significant financial, human resource, and technical capacity challenges. Funding remains heavily dependent on government budgets and donor support, exposing committees to operational risks when donor priorities shift. African countries are among the principal beneficiaries of technical assistance provided by UNCTAD and development partners to strengthen NTFCs, develop trade facilitation roadmaps, and improve trade facilitation governance. Across the continent, NTFCs play a central role in advancing trade facilitation reforms by simplifying trade procedures, enhancing coordination among border agencies, and fostering dialogue and collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders, as illustrated in this video.

Overall, the report concludes that NTFCs are essential governance mechanisms for trade facilitation. However, their future effectiveness will depend on strengthening institutional sustainability, securing more reliable funding sources, enhancing technical and monitoring capacities, and reducing dependence on external donor support. Without addressing these structural weaknesses, many committees may struggle to sustain momentum and effectively support national and regional trade facilitation objectives.