The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID Competitiveness, Trade, and Jobs Activity in Central Asia) said it will host one of the region’s major international business events, the Seventh Annual Central Asia Trade Forum, ‘Future Growth: Trade, Transport & Horticulture’, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on October 18-19.

Over 500 government, business, and civil society leaders from Central and South Asia and Europe will come together for the two-day event to discuss how increasing competitiveness can help enterprises throughout Central Asia better compete in the global economy and provide jobs for the region’s growing workforce.

Sessions will highlight new market requirements and innovations that will lower the cost of getting horticultural products to market. A special session will focus on the application of new technologies, including electronic seals on containers, solar powered border equipment, surveillance drones, and customs staff body cameras.

A concurrent trade exhibition will bring together different technology, equipment, and service providers who have the capacity to lower production and transport costs in the region. The agenda includes practical business support for small and medium enterprises and a workshop on the necessary steps, useful tools, and international certification requirements for exporting.

The Central Asia Trade Forum is an established brand in the region and beyond. Over the past six years, more than 4,000 business executives, policy makers, and industry experts from over 25 countries have attended the Forum, increasing understanding of trade issues and promoting greater trade volume across the region.

The USAID Competitiveness, Trade, and Jobs Activity in Central Asia facilitates exports and employment in horticulture and strengthens transport and logistics services across the five Central Asian economies. By helping firms to become more regionally competitive and by addressing cross-border impediments to trade, USAID is helping to develop a more diverse and competitive private sector and generate export-driven growth.

For registration and more information, please visit www.catradeforum.org