Unleashing the potential of cross-border trade among micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises and women entrepreneurs through e-commerce: the need for cross-country collaborations and regulatory harmonization

Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) account for 40 per cent of the gross domestic product, 25 per cent of the trade and 60–70 per cent of the employment in the Asia-Pacific region. Women-owned MSMEs alone comprise nearly 50 per cent of the total employment in the region. The e-commerce market of Asia and the Pacific, one of the fastest growing, is projected to reach a value of US$6.15 trillion by 2030. Many policies/incentives have been implemented by Asia-Pacific countries to help MSMEs, including women-owned MSMEs, to integrate into global value chains through e-commerce. This paper presents trends on the use of e-commerce platforms for cross-border trade by MSMEs, including women-owned MSMEs; provides examples of policies and scalable best practices; identifies barriers to trade and gaps in trade agreements; and makes recommendations for enhancing MSME participation in global value chains.