TradeRoots Americas

TradeRoots Americas is a coalition for action designed to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) move from export potential to real commercial opportunities through practical preparation, buyer connections and coordinated support from chambers, national committees and partners.

A coalition for SME trade in the region

Announced by the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship at the 2026 WCF Americas Summit , the TradeRoots Americas programme aims to unlock the potential of the Latin American and Caribbean region as the world’s major food exporter. The region shows deep capabilities across agriculture, processed foods, ingredients, packaging, logistics and business services, making it a productive base to play a much larger role in global trade.

By providing the right tools for SMEs to overcome the key barriers that are specific to the region and its industries, this chamber-enabled platform converts SME potential into bankable export journeys with a simple principle: One company. One product. One destination. One concrete opportunity.

How it works

This edition of TradeRoots Americas will cover the Andean-South trade corridors: 

Infographic showing 20 intra\-regional trade routes across seven South American countries: 14 routes forming seven two\-way corridors and six one\-way routes. The two\-way corridors connect Colombia–Ecuador, Colombia–Peru, Colombia–Argentina, Argentina–Peru, Argentina–Uruguay, Ecuador–Peru, and Peru–Uruguay. The six one\-way routes are Uruguay to Colombia, Bolivia to Argentina, Bolivia to Colombia, Ecuador to Argentina, Paraguay to Argentina, and Paraguay to Colombia.

The programme works through three progressive levels, where SMEs are selected to enter each stage according to their readiness.  

Level 1: Basic trade readiness

4,000 SMEs will learn to build export readiness and a common language around trade, including product selection, Incoterms® rules, origin, basic compliance, logistics costs and commercial channels.

Level 2: ExportLabs

>800 SMEs will be trained to develop concrete export plans under the principle of one product and one destination, with attention to market fit, pricing, regulatory adaptation, logistics, financing and buyer preparation.

Level 3: Export execution

>350 SMEs will be supported to move into execution, with support for permits, certifications, commercial samples, matchmaking rounds, trade missions, negotiation, contracts and first pilot operations.

The programme will launch in Q1 2027.

Entry criteria

*Relevant proofs will be requested upon registration 

Priority Sectors

  • Agri-food inputs and primary processing
  • Processed and functional foods
  • Animal protein and dairy
  • Specialty non-alcoholic beverages
  • Packaging and labels
  • Compliance and adaptation services
  • Logistics, fulfillment and consolidation

Events

Discover upcoming events taking place across the region

5 November 2026, 14:00-18:00 CET

Strengthening Productive Integration for Andean SMEs

Location: Andean Community General Secretariat Office
Format: In-person or online

Our partners

For further information, please contact

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