First ever Trade Intelligence Platform for Bangladesh Launched Supported by UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), has supported the launch of Bangladesh's first customised Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA) Portal, strengthening national capacity for evidence-based trade policymaking and negotiations.

The Bangladesh-specific TINA Portal was formally introduced during a three-day programme held in Sylhet from 17 to 19 August, bringing together around 30 government officials, analysts and members of the Trade Negotiators Pool.

The platform was developed through the Transformative Economic Policy Programme (TEPP)-II, UNDP Bangladesh's trade governance initiative supported by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). UNESCAP supported the platform's development and customisation in partnership with UNDP and the Ministry of Commerce.

As Bangladesh prepares for graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category, changes in preferential market access and growing competition in international markets will require stronger analytical capacity to identify opportunities, assess potential risks and determine national priorities in future trade negotiations.

Dr. Saif Uddin Ahammad, Joint Secretary, Trade Support Measures Wing, Ministry of Commerce, highlighted the importance of understanding emerging competitive pressures, particularly for key export sectors.

"What will happen if India's trade in textiles and the duty becomes zero in the UK and EU markets? How can we cope up with that?" he said.

He noted that trade policy decisions can generate wider effects across sectors and markets. "There are multiplier effects. There are tertiary issues. There are lots of issues. I think TINA is a simplified one. It will help us to understand the scenario all around the globe."

During the programme, participants used TINA to analyse trade flows, identify priority products for negotiations and assess market-access conditions. They also explored Legal TINA, which brings together digitised trade agreements, and the platform's newly released online Computable General Equilibrium model, which allows users to assess broader economy-wide implications of different trade policy scenarios.

Alexey Kravchenko, Economic Affairs Officer at UNESCAP's Trade Policy and Facilitation Section, said the platform was developed in response to the practical needs of negotiators.

"This came out of actual negotiators' requirements. This is what negotiators from all around Asia-Pacific and beyond actually asked us to do, because this saves them actual time," he said.

The Bangladesh platform also allows users to examine how trade policy changes may affect different sectors and employment, including potential implications for women and men.

Through TEPP-II's support to the Trade Negotiators Pool and collaboration with UNESCAP, the initiative is helping strengthen national expertise to interpret trade data and translate evidence into informed negotiating positions.

The launch marks an important step in preparing Bangladesh for a changing global trade environment and supporting future negotiations with stronger analysis, clearer national priorities and a better understanding of emerging opportunities and risks.