Status and Outlook for National Trade Facilitation Committees 2025

The report shows that National Trade Facilitation Committees are becoming more important as countries work to make cross-border trade faster, cheaper and more predictable. These committees bring together public and private actors to coordinate trade facilitation reforms. Their role is growing as trade systems become more digital, more exposed to shocks and more dependent on strong coordination across ports, borders and trade corridors. The report’s core message is clear: reported progress doesn’t always match reality on the ground. Stronger monitoring is needed to know whether reforms are working where they matter most. The report recommends stronger governance, updated mandates, better secretariats, regular public-private dialogue and sustained capacity building. It also calls on committees to move beyond a narrow focus on the WTO agreement and address emerging priorities such as supply chain resilience, digital trade, climate-smart trade facilitation and inclusive trade. Trade facilitation reforms need more than formal commitments. With stronger support, National Trade Facilitation Committees can help countries turn reforms into faster clearance, fewer delays, more resilient supply chains and more inclusive gains from trade.