The European Union and the International Trade Centre (ITC), in partnership with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Moldova, launched yesterday, September 26, 2022, the Eastern Partnership Trade Helpdesk Portal (EaP Trade Helpdesk) with the aim of boosting trade competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU.

The new platform - EaP Trade Helpdesk (https://eap.tradehelpdesk.org/ro) - as part of the project funded by the European Union, allows representatives of the public and private sector to report problems related to export and import and obtain practical solutions from relevant national authorities. Thus, the platform provides users with detailed information on trade statistics, export potential, tariffs, preferential trade agreements, as well as export and import regulations and business contacts.

The web platform consists of three complementary modules:

• Identify Opportunities module helps users to spot the most promising markets and products to trade in the region and with the EU. By comparing trade performance and potential trade in the region and with the EU, by market and sector, users can confirm their business decision.
• Market Information module provides users with an overview of the market access conditions they need to comply with to trade their product of interest to the identified market, as well as connect with relevant partners in their country or the destination market.
• The Help Center guides the user to navigate the platform, find additional resources and contact national network of specialists to answer any trade-related questions.

The EaP Trade Helpdesk project is carried out in partnership with national institutions, including the State Agency on Intellectual Property, which will contribute to the collection and updating of data and will participate in the help center within the web platform providing guidance and complementary information to enterprises in the region.