ADVANCED TOT PROGRAM ON ENHANCING UTILIZATION OF FTA BY SMES, FROM 18 – 22 AUGUST 2014 SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED.

Trade and Investment Facilitation

The Mekong Institute (MI) conducted a one-week advanced Training of Trainer (TOT) Program on Enhancing the Utilization of FTA by SMEs from 18 – 22 August, 2014. The program is part of the three-year project on Capacity Building for Integrating CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) Economies into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme (NZAP). 

The objective of the training was to understand the importance of FTA and its utilization procedure in regional and international trade to promote the utilization of FTAs by SMEs. 

A total of 27 GMS participants from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand attended the program. They are mid-to-senior officials from Chambers of Commerce and Industries (CCIs) and SME associations, Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Foreign Trade Policy Department, SME owners, professors and lecturers from universities. 

Through this one-week training, the participants acquired necessary knowledge and skills to use FTA for their business and work purpose. These knowledge and skills include rules to follow from various international/regional organizations/agreements involved in trade in services, Non-Tariff Measures (NTM), SME export products, custom cooperation, trade facilitation and Rules of Origin (RoO). The participants also had the chance to practice the FTA negotiation through simulation exercises. Key items including Negative/ Sensitive/ Exclusion List, tariff negotiations and time frame, tracks of liberalization and trade/ tariff line coverage were covered in the simulations. As a result of these practical exercises, participants could better understand the effective process, strategies and tactics in trade negotiation for policy-making and practical use. 

Based on the knowledge and skills they learned from the training courses, participants will start to put their assignments – action plans into implementation by organizing workshops in their home countries to localize the training package during October 2014.

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Mrs. Guohua Liu

Director, Sustainable Energy & Environment (SEE) Department

Mrs. Liu Guohua is the Director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Department at the Mekong Institute. Prior to this role, she worked in the Department of International Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, where she played a key role in shaping and implementing China’s cooperation strategies with UN development agencies. During this time, Mrs. Liu was actively involved in advancing initiatives related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on climate change and green development. Additionally, she contributed to the evaluation of projects funded by various Chinese initiatives, such as the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, etc.

In addition to her work in the Department of International Economic Affairs, Mrs. Liu has an extensive diplomatic background. She spent 7 years in the Department of African Affairs, followed by a 4-year tenure at the Chinese Embassy in Lao PDR, where she gained deep expertise in both Southeast Asian and African affairs. These diverse experiences have played a crucial role in shaping her approach to sustainable development and international collaboration, particularly in building regional partnerships and tackling global challenges like climate change.

She holds a Master’s degree in Economics, with a specialization in Finance, from the Central University of Finance and Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, specializing in International Economics and Trade, from the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.