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although fees should be carefully structured to ensure that recipients value services but also that
potential exporters are not discouraged.
 Evaluate the results. The effectiveness and efficiency of TPOs’ activities should be periodically
evaluated, including through reviews of performance of beneficiary firms. Evaluation would
allow policy makers to learn from experience and refine strategies.
Over the last decade, the structure and activities of TPOs in many countries have evolved, also in the light
of these earlier evaluations. As trade policies have also become more export-oriented, the policy
environment has become more favourable to their action. Lederman et al. (2009) estimate that TPOs with
large share of public funding, but also with relevant participation of the private sector in their boards,
have been especially effective in promoting export. Boxes 2.7 and 2.8 provide examples of good
practices, illustrating the experience of TPOs in Australia and Canada, which have developed a
comprehensive strategy to support firms seeking to start or expand their international business.
Box 2.7 AUSTRADE in Australia
The Australian Trade Commission, AUSTRADE, is the Australian Government’s trade, investment and
education promotion agency. Through a network of offices in 104 countries, Austrade assists Australian
companies to grow their international business, attracts productive foreign direct investment into
Australia and promotes Australia’s education sector internationally.
The role of AUSTRADE is to advance Australia's international trade, investment and education interests
by providing information, advice and services. Specifically, AUSTRADE:
 Help Australian companies to grow their business in international markets, including through
administration of the Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme and the TradeStart
program.
 Provide coordinated government assistance to attract and facilitate productive foreign direct
investment (FDI) into Australia.
 Promote the Australian education sector in international markets and assist Australian education
providers with market information.
 Provide advice to the Australian Government on its trade and investment policy agenda.
 Deliver Australian consular, passport and other government services in designated overseas
locations.
 Manage the “Building Brand Australia” program to enhance awareness of contemporary
Australian skills and capability and enrich Australia’s global reputation.
Focusing on export promotion, AUSTRADE provides a variety of services including the “International
Readiness Indicator” (an on line tool to evaluate firm’s readiness for exporting, consisting of 12 yes/no
questions) and the supply of information about overseas markets, and export market development grants,
which reimburse up to 50% of eligible export promotion expenses above $10,000, provided that the total
expenses are at least $20,000.
Austrade conducts its own surveys with clients on a quarterly and annual basis, which indicate
consistently high degrees of satisfaction with Austrade service delivery.
Source:
Box 2.8 Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS)
As part of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
(TCS), created in 1894, helps Canadian companies and organizations succeed globally.
TCS provides Canadian firms with on-the-ground intelligence and practical advice on foreign markets to
help them make better, more timely and cost-effective decisions in order to achieve their goals abroad.