Transport, logistics and trade facilitation

We support countries in implementing sustainable and resilient freight transportation and logistics services to enhance trade.

Customs automation - ASYCUDA

Transport infrastructure and services

Trade facilitation

Transport policy and legislation

Review of Maritime Transport

The Review of Maritime Transport has been published annually since 1968. This flagship report provides an analysis of structural and cyclical changes affecting seaborne trade, ports and shipping, as well as an extensive collection of statistics.

Over 80% of the volume of international trade in goods is carried by sea, and the percentage is even higher for most developing countries.

Training and capacity building

TrainForTrade

E-learning for NTFCs

News

Boosting trade facilitation in West Africa

Through its e-learning platform, UNCTAD and partners are helping 15 nations redouble their efforts towards trade facilitation reforms and regional integration.

22 Dec 2022

Rabiah Nadir at the Port of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, Spain

Project by UNCTAD port programme graduate saves fresh water in Malaysia

A rainwater harvesting system proposed by Rabiah Nadir is helping Johor Port save fresh water, minimize chances of flooding and contribute to global goals.

1 Dec 2022

Maritime supply chains need urgent investment to boost resilience to future crises

UNCTAD's Review of Maritime Transport 2022 warns that maritime transport and logistics require greater investment in infrastructure and sustainability to weather future storms.

29 Nov 2022

Logistic workers lift banana boxes into a container in El Oro, Ecuador.

UNCTAD tool accelerates trade facilitation reforms in developing countries

The Reform Tracker helps countries monitor, coordinate and fast-track actions to make cross-border trade easier, faster and cheaper.

24 Nov 2022

Projects

Transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics

Commercialization of the Trans-Saharan Road Corridor

Implementation of WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in Central Africa

Sustainable smart ports for African countries

Analysis of maritime connectivity in ASEAN and Pacific small island developing States

Accelerate trade facilitation

Featured Podcast

Stormy waters: The maritime trade crisis

This episode of the Weekly Tradecast talks about how the war in Ukraine has compounded severe strains on global supply chains from the COVID-19 pandemic with Jan Hoffmann, head of UNCTAD's trade logistics branch.

View all podcasts

Featured Event

Launch of the Review of Maritime Transport 2022

29 Nov 2022

Recent publications

COVID-19 and International Sale of Goods: Contractual devices for commercial risk allocation and loss prevention

Compendium of Good Practices in Implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: Experiences from Developing and Least Developed Countries

Review of Maritime Transport 2022

Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation in Pacific Island Developing Economies (PIDEs) 2021 Report

National Trade Facilitation Committees in the quest for sustainability

ASYCUDA Report 2021/22

Transport and trade facilitation newsletter

The UNCTAD Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter is a quarterly bulletin on current topics and projects in trade facilitation and international transport.

Receive the latest updates, with recommendations on publications directly to your email and free of charge.

Transport and Trade Facilitation

The Series includes analytical reports on a wide range of issues in the areas of trade facilitation, international transport, and logistics. It complements the annual Review of Maritime Transport, and the quarterly Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter.

Topics covered in recent years include digitalization of logistics, national trade facilitation committees, shipping, climate change adaptation, road safety, port performance, cabotage, transit, and the relationship between trade facilitation and development.