- The International Trade Centre (ITC) and DHL Group signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen their partnership supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in cross-border trade, the organizations said.
- The renewed collaboration aims to help SMEs, particularly women-led businesses, overcome international trade barriers and access new markets across more than 60 countries.
- The agreement combines ITC's expertise in market intelligence and SME development with DHL's global logistics network to provide training, shipping assistance, and advocacy.
GENEVA, Switzerland — The International Trade Centre (ITC) and DHL Group renewed their partnership on September 16, 2026, to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in international trade. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) aims to deepen their collaboration, focusing on helping businesses, especially women-led ones, overcome trade barriers.
The International Trade Centre (ITC) and DHL Group said in an emailed press release today that the agreement was signed in Geneva.
Partnership Goals
The agreement combines ITC’s expertise in market intelligence, SME development, and inclusive trade with DHL’s global logistics network and technical expertise. SMEs account for approximately 90% of businesses globally, provide roughly 70% of employment, and contribute 70% of global GDP.
Under the agreement, ITC and DHL will support small businesses with cross-border trade, covering exports, supply chains, and logistics. They will also work with business support organizations and ITC SheTrades Hubs to improve services for small and women-led businesses. The partnership will advocate for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in global discussions and at high-level events.
Joint Initiatives and Reach
Over the past decade, ITC and DHL have collaborated through DHL GoTrade, ITC SheTrades, and the ITC ecomConnect program. This collaboration has reached small businesses across more than 60 countries in Africa, ASEAN, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Since 2021, DHL GoTrade projects have reached over 26,000 SMEs and 8,000 women-owned businesses through training on logistics, e-commerce, and trade. Since 2018, ITC SheTrades and DHL have provided technical assistance, logistics know-how, and shipping solutions to over 4,000 women-led businesses across 60 countries. Between 2020 and 2024, ITC ecomConnect connected more than 400 SMEs with DHL support, including preferential shipping arrangements that cut costs by up to 60% in selected markets.
Executive Perspectives
Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director, stated that the main challenge for small businesses is not creating quality products but getting them to customers. She added that deepening the work with DHL will help more small businesses, particularly women-led ones, overcome last-mile logistics barriers and reach new markets.
Hennie Heymans, CEO, DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, noted that SMEs are the backbone of economies worldwide, but their participation in international trade remains disproportionately low. He said that businesses often need access to knowledge, finance, digital capabilities, and logistics support, which partnerships like this provide.