Small island developing states | UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Gode wereda Dolo Baad distribution centre, Somali Region, Ethiopia.

Hormuz reopening may calm markets, but vulnerable economies face lasting consequences

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would bring relief to global trade and energy markets. But for many vulnerable economies, the shock will not end when ships start moving again.

More news

Worker checks pipes at crude oil factory.

New UNCTAD monitor warns vulnerable economies face the heaviest burden from oil shocks

A small farmer in Nepal

Vulnerable economies urge stronger global support to tackle mounting shocks

Secretaries-General Rebeca Grynspan (right) and Carla Barnett (left) met in New York during the high-level week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

UNCTAD and CARICOM sign first cooperation agreement to support Caribbean resilience

Graph showing US tariffs on vulnerable economies vs. their tariffs on the US

A tectonic shift in tariff policy

Map showing size of new US tariffs

Mapping the size of new US tariffs for developing countries

University students in Tonga enjoy high-speed internet.

Pacific cyberlaw gaps exposed in major UNCTAD study

Women worker packs fruit in Latin America

UN Trade and Development alerts: The poor and the vulnerable risk being overlooked in escalating trade tensions

Latest publications

Cover for Strait of Hormuz Disruptions: Beyond reopening - lasting impacts on vulnerable economies

Strait of Hormuz Disruptions: Beyond reopening - lasting impacts on vulnerable economies

Cover for Review of the Papua New Guinea tariff reduction programme

Review of the Papua New Guinea tariff reduction programme

Cover for Strait of Hormuz Disruptions: The burden of oil price shocks on vulnerable economies

Strait of Hormuz Disruptions: The burden of oil price shocks on vulnerable economies

Cover for Fragile prosperity: Natural disasters and economic growth in small island developing states

Fragile prosperity: Natural disasters and economic growth in small island developing states

Cover for Promoting sustainable intra-African export growth for Cabo Verde’s small and medium-sized enterprises through the blue economy

Promoting sustainable intra-African export growth for Cabo Verde’s small and medium-sized enterprises through the blue economy

Cover for Sparing the vulnerable: The cost of new tariff burdens

Sparing the vulnerable: The cost of new tariff burdens

More publications

Videos and podcasts

Strait of Hormuz Disruptions: The burden of oil price shocks on vulnerable economies

Reciprocal tariffs should exclude vulnerable countries

A matter of survival: Why small island states need resilience and prosperity

Related

Projects

Meetings

The port of Kingston, Jamaica

12 February 2026

Academic seminar on the Productive Capacities Index (PCI) and applications for policy use in Jamaica

Jamaica

11 February 2026

National policy-level workshop on stronger and greener productive capacities for just transitions in Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

9 – 10 February 2026

National capacity building training on statistical, methodological and computational aspects of the Productive Capacities Index (PCI)

Kingston, Jamaica

5 – 6 February 2026

National capacity building training on statistical, methodological and computational aspects of the Productive Capacities Index (PCI)

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

All meetings and events

Documents

Strait of Hormuz Disruptions: Beyond reopening - lasting impacts on vulnerable economies

Review of the Papua New Guinea tariff reduction programme

Strait of Hormuz Disruptions: The burden of oil price shocks on vulnerable economies

Fragile prosperity: Natural disasters and economic growth in small island developing states

Ministerial declaration of the small island developing States to the sixteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Promoting sustainable intra-African export growth for Cabo Verde’s small and medium-sized enterprises through the blue economy

Contact

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