trade obstacles alert
TRANSCRIPT
TRADE OBSTACLES ALERT Identifying and tackling obstacles to trade
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USER GUIDE
TRADE OBSTACLES ALERT Identifying and tackling obstacles to trade
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TABLE OF CONTENT
1. The trade obstacle alert mechanism .................................................................................................. 1
2. The Home page ................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1. The navigation menu ................................................................................................................... 3
2.2. Key functionalities ........................................................................................................................ 3
2.3. The latest information ................................................................................................................. 3
3. Log in and registration process ........................................................................................................... 4
4. About ................................................................................................................................................... 6
5. Report an obstacle .............................................................................................................................. 6
5.1. The online questionnaire ............................................................................................................. 7
5.2. Next steps: The resolution mechanism ...................................................................................... 11
6. Obstacles analysis ............................................................................................................................. 12
6.1 View the reports ......................................................................................................................... 13
6.2. Statistics ..................................................................................................................................... 14
7. Reference materials .......................................................................................................................... 15
8. My account ....................................................................................................................................... 15
8.1. View my reports ......................................................................................................................... 16
8.2. Edit my profile ............................................................................................................................ 16
8.3. Edit my alerts ............................................................................................................................. 16
9. Contact us ......................................................................................................................................... 16
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ABBREVIATIONS
ITC International Trade Centre
HS Harmonised System
NFP National focal point
NMC National monitoring committee
NTM Non-tariff measures
TOA Trade obstacle alert
TOAM Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism
TRADE OBSTACLES ALERT Identifying and tackling obstacles to trade
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1. THE TRADE OBSTACLE ALERT MECHANISM
The Trade Alert Obstacle (TOA) platform was developed by the International Trade Centre (ITC) to facilitate the information exchange between economic operators and public institutions. The project idea stems from the ITC’s research in the area of Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs). The project represents a base for an institutional cooperation between the private and the public sectors with the objective of tackling the obstacles that economic operators face during their trade procedures and smoothening export/import processes.
The project relies on an institutional mechanism (the Trade Obstacle Alert Mechanism or TOAM) to manage the trade obstacle complaints reported by the economic operators. The economic operators have access to an online platform (www.tradeobstaclesalert.org) where they can report the trade obstacles they face; a National Focal Point (NFP) is in charge of managing the platform and facilitating the resolution process of the trade obstacles; a National Monitoring Committee (NMC) is in charge of ensuring the proper functioning of the mechanism.
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2. THE HOME PAGE The TOA platform homepage is divided in 3 main areas, and allows users to directly visualize the main features of the online application.
Figure 1: Home page
1) Navigation menu
2) Key functionalities boxes
3) Latest information boxes
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2.1. THE NAVIGATION MENU
Each tab in the navigation menu gives access to a different feature. All features of the application are accessible through the navigation menu.
2.2. KEY FUNCTIONALITIES
The functionalities boxes provide an easy and direct access to the key functionalities of the application. Users do not need to pass through the navigation menu to access these functionalities.
2.3. THE LATEST INFORMATION
The boxes on the right-end of the home page give an overview on the most updated information published in the platform. This refers to:
Latest trade obstacles reported;
Reports’ statistics;
News and documents.
The title of each box contains a link toward a dedicated page where the related information is available.
NOTE: SIGN-UP AND LOG-IN
The LOGIN tab allows users to connect to the platform with their personal account. Registered users can log-in with the user-name and password they created during registration; new users can register using a valid email address (see “Section 3. Sign-up”).
Click on each section tab to open the drop-down menu
Click on the heading to open the related page
Click on the arrows to scroll the latest available
informationavailable records
Click here to log in to the application
Click here to visualize the full information
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3. LOG IN AND REGISTRATION PROCESS All users have access to a number of features that the application provides, including to the trade obstacle reports statistics. However, only registered users have full access to all the functionalities.
In particular, registered users can:
Report a trade obstacle Set their own trade obstacles alerts
Registering to the application is completely free of charge and does not imply any type of obligation for the users. To register to the application, click on the LOG IN tab in the navigation menu. From the login page you can insert your credentials and access the application as a registered user. If you don’t have an account yet, click on Create a new account (see figure below). A new page will open where you will be able to fill the registration form.
Figure 1: Creation of a new account
NOTE: PAGES NOT AVAILABLE FOR NON-REGISTERED USERS
Non-registered user will be redirected to the Log in page when they try to access content available only to registered users.
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After submitting the registration form, you will receive an email with a link to validate your account.
When the registration and validation process is complete, you can log-in to the application and have access to all features and functionalities. Go to the “Log in” page and insert your email and password.
NOTE: RECEIVING ALERTS ON REPORTED TRADE OBSTACLES
While registering to the platform, users can also request to subscribe to the TOA platform alert system. Alerts are email notification received by email and provide a direct link to the trade obstacle reports. You can set the alerts you want to receive and keep updated on the obstacles faced by other users for the products and/or markets of your interest.
IMPORTANT: PERSONAL DATA CONFIDENTIALITY
Personal information provided in the registration form is protected and will not be shared with third parties. For more information on data confidentiality issues, visit the page Terms and conditions in the menu at the bottom of each page
Tick « Yes » if you want to receive trade obstacles alerts
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4. ABOUT
The ABOUT section provides information on:
The platform. Here you can learn more about the TOA platform concept and functionalities Trade obstacles. Here you can learn more about the trade obstacles classification and which
obstacles are covered by the platform; The Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism (TOAM). Here you can learn more about how the
mechanism works and how obstacles reports are managed through the platform The Partners. Here you can see which are the agencies involved in the trade obstacles
monitoring and resolution process in your country.
5. REPORT AN OBSTACLE
Using this section you can start to report the obstacles you face when importing or exporting your products. The REPORT AN OBSTACLE section allows reporting a trade obstacle in two ways:
Online, by choosing Report a new obstacle. Only registered users can report an obstacle online.
Offline, by downloading and print the form to report an obstacle (PDF version). The filled-in form has to be then sent via email to the address provided in the page Contact us.
NOTE: REPORTING AN OBSTACLE OFFLINE
The online form can only be accessed by registered users (see Chapter 3 of this user guide). For users who are not registered to the platform or do not have reliable internet connection, the TOA platform also provides an offline questionnaire that can be downloaded clicking on Report an obstacle offline (PDF). Users that would like to report the obstacles they face through the offline
questionnaire should:
1. Print a copy of the questionnaire 2. Fill out the questionnaire and send it (or ask a third party to send it) to the address reported in
the Contact us page
3. For those who do not have an email account, it is advisable to ask a third party that is registered on the TOA (e.g. their trade association) to submit the report online on their behalf.
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5.1. THE ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE The online questionnaire to report a trade obstacle is composed of four steps that try to capture all the aspect of the obstacle you have faced.
STEP 1 – Context of the obstacle. This first step provides users with a set of questions that are useful to describe the general context of the obstacle, when and where it was faced. This part is essential to allow a thorough understanding of the trade obstacle and find a solution. Try to be therefore as more detailed as possible in the free description box.
Figure 2: Report an obstacle (STEP 1 – Context of the obstacle)
STEP 2 – Type of obstacle. The second step allows users to identify the obstacle on the basis of a proposed classification (see REFERENCE MATERIALS > Trade obstacles classification from the
navigation menu). This step allows users to specify if the obstacle derives from:
a) A regulation/law; b) An administrative procedure.
Users only need to click on a category label to unfold the list of corresponding trade obstacles. Users then need to choose among the proposed obstacles the closest match to the problem they have faced.
IMPORTANT: ONLY ONE OBSTACLE PER REPORT
Keep in mind that, the report must refer to a single obstacle encountered while exporting or importing a single product (if you export / import multiple products, please indicate only the main product affected). It is, therefore, important to enter only the information related to a single episode at a time. Accordingly, the application only allows selecting one product and one obstacle per report. Avoid mentioning within the same report several distinct obstacles that might have occurred at different points in time. If you faced multiple obstacles, you should enter them separately through different obstacle reports.
Consult the Frequently Asked
Questions about the trade obstacle reporting form
Describe in detail the obstacle faced!
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Figure 3: Report an obstacle (STEP 2 – Type of obstacles)
When your problem is primarily related to an administrative procedure, the questionnaire asks you to further specify if said procedure is specifically referenced in or originates from a national or foreign country’s regulation or law. If this is the case, the questionnaire asks for more details and clarifications about the related law/regulation.
Figure 4: Does the obstacle reported derive from a particular regulation/law?
STEP 3 – Product details. The third step allows users to identify the product affected the trade obstacle affects. The product classification is based on the Harmonised System (HS) nomenclature. The HS system is a numeric classification that attributes to each of 5,300 products a six-digit code and a product label (e.g. 020130 – Bovine cuts boneless, fresh of chilled). To browse the HS nomenclature and select the product of interest, users have two options:
The text box gives the opportunity to select a product by simply typing the HS product code or a part of the HS product label;
The product tree gives users the option to browse through different broad product categories and chooses a product line among the ones proposed under each category.
Click on the category label that better identifies the obstacle you faced
Indicate if the obstacle derives from a regulation/law or not
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Figure 5: Report an obstacle (STEP 3 – Product details)
STEP 4 – Additional information. Filling fields under this section is not mandatory. However, here users can provide additional information (not covered in the previous steps) that might help the relevant agencies to find a timely solution to the obstacle reported. Users can provide suggestions on how the obstacle can be addressed by the relevant agencies and, most importantly, document can be attached in order to provide a clear reference and proof of the obstacle occurred.
NOTE: FURTHER DETAIL YOUR PRODUCT SELECTION
At the bottom of the Product details step, you can find a text box to enter additional information on your product. Use it to further describe your product by referring, for instance, to the specific national tariff line involved. You can also use this box to mention if multiple products were affected by the obstacle you faced.
A) Text box selection: Enter the name or the first 4 digits of the HS code of the
product
B) Product tree selection: Browse through the product categories to find
the product of interest
C) Once selected, the product will appear in this box
Provide more information as possible on the product you were exporting or
importing when you faced the obstacle
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Figure 6: Report an obstacle (STEP 4 – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)
Once you have filled in your report, you are ready to review it and decide whether to submit it or amend it. This can be done by clicking on the button REVIEW AND VALIDATE at the bottom of the page. The report preview will appear and you can click on GO BACK to amend the report or you can click on SUBMIT in order to send the report to the platform administrators.
NOTE: HOW TO FILL IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE
The questionnaire is dynamic and the questions might change according to the answers provided. Therefore questions must be answered in the proposed order. If a mandatory field is not filled in, the system will highlight it and ask users to provide the information needed.
Attach documents that could help to better identify and address the obstacle you face
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5.2. NEXT STEPS: THE RESOLUTION MECHANISM Once you have submitted your obstacle report, the resolution mechanism starts. The report will be:
1. First, examined and validated by the NFP. During this phase, the NFP may get in contact with you in order to verify the report validity or to require more information on the obstacle
2. Then, forwarded by the NFP to the relevant agencies in charge of providing a solution to the trade obstacle.
The obstacle report will not be visible for all the users of the TOA platform until the NFP had validated it. In the meanwhile, however, automatic email notifications will update you about the progress made in the resolution of the obstacle. You can also follow the advancements made by the NFP through the platform: all the necessary information can be found in section of the navigation menu MY ACCOUNT > View my reports (non-validated reports can be seen in this section by the economic operator that submitted them).
When the NFP finally validates and publishes the report, all users will be able to view it thorough the page OBSTACLE ANALYSIS > View the reports.
Figure 7: The trade obstacle alert mechanism
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6. OBSTACLES ANALYSIS
Through this section all users can see the reports that have been validated and published by the NFP to date. In particular, the OBSTACLES ANALYSIS section allows users to:
Consult all their report and see their status in the resolution process; Analyse the reports statistics, on the basis of different filtering and sorting criteria.
Each obstacle report on the platform is associated with a specific colour-coded status. The status indicates the progress of the reported obstacle through the resolution process. The reports that have not been validated and published by the NFP yet will be visible only to the users who have submitted them. This is the case for reports which status is New or Under review. The On-going resolution (special case) status refers to obstacles that cannot be easily addressed because their resolutions rely on long-term actions (e.g. a change in a law or an infrastructure improvement) or on the action of institutions that do not belong to the TOA mechanism. More information can be retrieved under the page ABOUT > The TOA Mechanism
Figure 8: The trade obstacle reports status in the resolution process
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6.1 VIEW THE REPORTS The View the reports page provides users with an overview of all the reports that have been submitted and published by the NFP to date. Reports are aggregated in an interactive table that allows for the following actions:
Filter and sort the reports; Look for key-words in the table; Access the details of the reports.
Figure 9: Using the reports’ table
Click on one of the obstacles listed in the table to unfold the obstacle description. To access the full obstacle report – along with the comments and progress updates – click on VIEW>>, as shown in the figure below.
Figure 10: Details of an obstacle report
Use the filters box and the sorting arrows to facilitate the research
Type a keyword to filter the results
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6.2. STATISTICS The Statistics page provides an overview of the main constraints to trade as reported by economic
operators. The page provides:
An overview of the all obstacle reports, in the form of a table, providing a classification by trade activity (import or export) and country where the obstacle was faced;
Figure 11: Overview of the obstacle reports
An interactive bar chart allowing to analysis the obstacles reported thorough different perspectives.
NOTE: NOTIFY AN OBSTACLE THAT YOU ALSO FACED
When skimming through the reports listed in the table, you might identify some obstacles that you also have faced while importing or exporting your products. After having given a closer look to the obstacle description, you can click on Notify the same obstacle.
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Figure 12: Dynamic graphic for the report statistics analysis
7. REFERENCE MATERIALS
In the REFERENCE MATERIALS section you can find documents and information that will help you to better understand the functionalities of the TOA platform as well as to obtain updates on trade obstacles and trade related matters. The section provides links to:
This User guide; The Trade obstacle classifications used in the application; Frequently asked questions (FAQs); News and documents; Useful links to external websites.
8. MY ACCOUNT
The MY ACCOUNT section is available only to users which are registered and have logged in into the application. From this section you will be able to track the status of your reports, modify your profile and set your alert notifications. You can also log out from here once you would like to leave the application.
Group and filter the reports according to different criteria
Click on a report status to exclude the corresponding reports from the graph
Export your graph in different formats
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8.1. VIEW MY REPORTS The View my reports allow you to see all the trade-obstacle reports that you have submitted so far. Since you will be the only user that has access to this page, you will be able to see also the report that you submitted that have not yet been validated by the platform administrator. See Chapter 5.1. of this user guide to learn how to browse the reports table.
8.2. EDIT MY PROFILE The Edit my profile tab provides access to the personal details provided during the registration process. It is important that your personal profile is up-to-date before submitting a new obstacle. Do not forget to always save the changes made to the personal profile by clicking on the button SAVE CHANGES at the bottom of the page.
8.3. EDIT MY ALERTS When you create an account in the TOA platform, you will be able to receive email notifications (alerts) that will keep you updated about the obstacles faced by other trade operators. You can modify at any time the alerts settings or decide not to receive any more alerts from the page MY ACCOUNT > Edit my alerts. Do not forget to always save the changes to you alerts settings by clicking on SAVE
at the bottom of the page.
9. CONTACT US
From the menu at the bottom of the page you can access to the page Contact us. In this page you can find the contact details of the NFP of your country. Contact him/her for any problem related to the reports that you have submitted in to the TOA platform.
For any additional information, users are invited to get in contact with the ITC website administrators at [email protected]