Tuesday, May 30, 2017

A workshop on global value chains (GVCs) and trade in value added (TiVA) was held at North-West University (NWU), Potchefstroom, South Africa, on 30 May — 1 June 2017. Organized by the WTO and NWU, a member of the WTO’s Chairs Programme, the course aimed to provide researchers and policy makers with information about TiVA statistics, the theory and measurement of trade in GVCs and the key messages arising from TiVA and GVCs for policy making. Special focus was given to online TiVA tools, such as the OECD-WTO TiVA database. Emphasis was given to the role of services in GVCs, and the WTO's I-TIP (Integrated Trade Intelligence Portal) services database was also presented to the participants. The course consisted of presentations and several interactive sessions, which generated lively interaction with the participants. Course participants were able to ask questions on topics of particular interest to them and were able to try out the various tools introduced in the workshop. The presentations of WTO staff were complemented by a presentation from a high-level representative of the South African Department for Trade and Industry and a demonstration of the Decision Support Model, a software application developed by the WTO chair and a consultant company with the aim of identifying export opportunities.