SMEs and Thriving Markets: The Future of Trade

SMEs and Thriving Markets: The Future of Trade with Hamid Mamdouh

Today’s episode of Trade Wins is the third in a special series of interviews conducted as part of the World Trade Association’s General Assembly, held April 26-30, 2021. Hamid Mamdouh, Senior Counsel at King & Spalding and former Director of Trade in Services and Investment Division at the World Trade Organization (WTO), shares the future of trade as it pertains to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Hamid also explains changes that need to be considered within the WTO and how SMEs can play a role in this reform by actively engaging within the private sector.

• Hamid identifies four challenges that SMEs are currently facing including regulatory burdens, access to information, access to financing and digitalization. 1:24
• Reform is needed within the WTO’s three legs – dispute settlement, negotiation and the deliberative function – in order to see progress made within the trading system. 8:11
• Hamid describes three practical actions that can be taken immediately to support SMEs within the trade industry. 12:50
• Creating a political vision is a major first step that can be taken to see reform take place within the WTO. 16:53
• The private sector can further the cause of trade reform by actively engaging and supporting trade reform. 22:39

For the full episode, visit: https://podcast.wtca.org/podcast/05-smes-and-thriving-markets-the-future-of-trade-with-hamid-mamdouh/

Trade Wins is a podcast designed specifically to be thought-provoking and to provide insights from leading experts to help us navigate today’s changing environment. We aim to contribute to the empowerment of our global membership and their business networks in the world of global trade and investment.