UK commits $1.25 mn to trade facilitation programme for 2026–29

The programme is jointly implemented by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Customs Organization and UK Customs.

The UK has committed around $1.25 million in funding for the ‘Accelerate Trade Facilitation’ programme for the 2026-2029 period.
The programme is jointly implemented by UNCTAD, the World Customs Organization and UK Customs.
The latest phase will expand the programme’s capacity-building activities and introduce the Reform Tracker tool to up to three additional countries.

For more than a decade, the programme has supported over 30 economies to speed up the movement of goods and strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors.

“We will build on the strong and sustained impact achieved by partner countries over the last 11 years of the programme, strengthening national trade facilitation committees and driving practical, lasting reforms that make trade simpler, faster and more inclusive while supporting economic growth,” said Megan Shaw, deputy director of international customs and border engagement at UK Customs in an UNCTAD release.

The programme will continue to place national trade facilitation committees (NTFCs) at the core of its work. NTFCs serve as coordination platforms where government agencies and businesses identify bottlenecks, agree on priorities and advance trade facilitation reforms.

UNCTAD has supported them through specialised training, including via its trade facilitation e-learning platform, and practical tools such as the Reform Tracker. The tool helps countries monitor progress on trade facilitation reforms and keep society-wide collaborators aligned.

“These reforms contribute to a trading environment that is faster, cheaper, more transparent and more predictable—conditions that help businesses compete and grow,” said Angel Gonzalez Sanz, officer-in-charge of UNCTAD’s division on technology and logistics.

The 2026-2029 phase will expand the programme’s capacity-building activities and introduce the Reform Tracker to up to three additional countries.

These efforts will help deepen digitalisation and improve coordination between border agencies—measures crucial to reducing costs and processing times for traders.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)