The International Trade Centre (ITC) and DHL have signed a memorandum of understanding renewing their long-standing partnership to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in trading across borders.
The agreement, signed in Geneva, combines ITC’s expertise in market intelligence, SME development and inclusive trade with DHL’s global logistics network. According to ITC and DHL, SMEs account for around 90% of businesses globally, provide roughly 70% of employment and contribute 70% of global GDP, but continue to face barriers to participating in international trade.
Under the renewed agreement, ITC and DHL will support small businesses with cross-border trade, including exports, supply chains and logistics. They will also work with business support organizations and ITC SheTrades Hubs to improve services for small and women-led businesses, and advocate for small businesses and women entrepreneurs at high-level events and among private-sector and government bodies.
Over the past decade, the two organizations have worked together through DHL GoTrade, ITC SheTrades and the ITC ecomConnect program, reaching small businesses in more than 60 countries across Africa, ASEAN, Latin America and the Caribbean. In July 2025, DHL took part as a private-sector champion at ITC’s inaugural Global SME Ministerial Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.
ITC executive director Pamela Coke-Hamilton said, “For small businesses, the main challenge is not in creating quality products for customers but getting them to them. That’s why we’re deepening our work with DHL to help more small businesses, particularly women-led businesses, to overcome last-mile logistics barriers and reach new markets, and to ensure their perspectives are heard at decision-making tables.”
Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, said, “SMEs are the backbone of economies worldwide, yet their participation in international trade remains disproportionately low. The challenge is rarely a lack of ambition. More often, businesses need access to knowledge, finance, digital capabilities and logistics support.”
Since 2021, DHL GoTrade has reached more than 26,000 SMEs and 8,000 women-owned businesses across over 60 countries, according to ITC and DHL. Since 2018, ITC SheTrades and DHL have reached more than 4,000 women-led businesses, working through SheTrades Hubs in Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago.
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