Commodity Trade

Surging need is driven by boom in electric cars, with 23 million passenger vehicles expected to be produced by 2030, says a new UNCTAD report.

A better deal could bring benefits for producers of gum arabic, a natural and versatile ingredient used in food, drinks and chemical products.

Only 8% of the value created by international supply chains flows to 100-plus developing countries, analysis by UNCTAD suggests, placing the role of "global value chains" in developing countries' strategies among discussions to be held at UNCTAD’s upcoming Global Commodities Forum.

High prices for basic farm goods and industrial raw materials, with the complex effects that these cause on the economies of numerous poor countries, are not expected to decline any time soon, the Global Commodities Forum has been told.

Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi presented an UNCTAD report on Mexican agriculture and trade to the country’s Ambassador to the United Nations Office at Geneva.