The Trade and Compliance Institute (TCI) hosted a highly relevant technical webinar for the foreign trade community, focused on presenting the methodology and initial results of the Business Ready (B-READY)The World Bank's new flagship report, the successor to Doing Business, was unveiled at an event held on November 20. The event brought together the World Bank's core team responsible for International Trade, who detailed the broader, more transparent, and data-driven approach that will guide the assessment of the business environment in more than 160 economies.
B-READY's Strategic Vision: Broader and More Transparent
The opening of the webinar was led by Milagros Deza DelgadoMilagros, an analyst on the B-READY team and a specialist in International Trade, contextualized B-READY as one of the World Bank's flagship reports, designed to assess the business environment at various stages of a company's life cycle, with International Trade being one of its ten core topics.
He emphasized the project's ambition, which aims not only to collect data but also to promote policy reforms and guide specific policy changes through comprehensive and relevant information. The initiative seeks to be an engine for private sector development, boosting productivity and job creation.
Milagros also extended an invitation to the community of experts to participate in the data collection process, reinforcing the importance of collaboration for the quality and scope of the report.
Main Quote (Milagros Deza Delgado): "The updated technical questionnaires for the next cycle, 2026, are ready, and we are looking for suitable experts to complete them. We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate."
The B-READY Methodology: Three Pillars for International Trade
Then Melanie Silvia Martinz The structure and methodology of B-READY were presented, highlighting its evolution from Doing Business. The new project is distinguished by its more comprehensive and transparent approach, incorporating cross-cutting dimensions such as digital technology, environmental sustainability, and gender.
Melanie explained that B-READY is organized around three pillars, which allow us to understand not only what the standards say, but also how they are implemented and what experience companies have in practice: Regulatory Framework, which assesses the clarity of the rules; the Public services, which measure the de facto provision of public services; and the Operational Efficiency which reflects the real-world experience of businesses in trading.
The speaker also clarified the data sources, which include experts from the private sector (lawyers, customs brokers) for the indicators de jure y , and the use of Enterprise Surveys for operational efficiency indicators, ensuring that the data reflects real times, costs, and perceptions of the companies.
"B-READY represents an evolution of Doing Business, with a more comprehensive and transparent framework for analyzing the private sector environment."
Results in Latin America: Opportunities for Improvement
The analysis of the results of the B-READY 2024 report, with a focus on Latin America, was conducted by Mary Isabel Delgado CaceresMary presented an overview of the region's performance compared to other regions, as well as for each pillar of the project. She also emphasized that B-READY is a crucial tool for identifying areas for improvement by considering global best practices.
Mary observed that Latin American economies are performing positively in the Regulatory FrameworkCountries like Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru, with scores close to 75 out of 100, demonstrate a continued effort to strengthen their regulations and, consequently, their participation in global markets. In contrast, the results are more varied in Public Services, where Costa Rica and Mexico stand out. This variation suggests that the effective provision of public services still represents both a challenge and an opportunity for improvement in the region.
“B-READY is a quantitative tool, published annually and with global coverage. This tool serves to promote public policy reforms by identifying best practices implemented internationally. It also provides detailed information for research and analysis, taking into account various mechanisms for private sector development.”
Become a B-READY Global Contributor!
The World Bank's B-READY project actively seeks the collaboration of private sector experts (law firms, consultancies, professional associations, customs and freight forwarders, chambers of commerce, etc.) for data collection. Their participation is crucial to ensuring the report's quality and global reach.
If selected, you will be able to participate in the B-READY project by completing one or more questionnaires on the topic of International Trade. This work may be paid or pro bono.
To learn more about becoming a contributing expert and to apply, please write to the B-READY team at the following address: [email protected].
More information at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/businessready
Special Invitation: Upcoming TCI Webinar
The TCI reinforces its commitment to trade facilitation and invites the entire community to participate in the upcoming technical event, which will deepen methodological synergies for the advancement of trade in the region.
Synergies for Trade Facilitation in Latin America: The UN Global Survey and the UNCTAD Reform Tracker.
This technical panel will explore the complementarity between the diagnosis provided by the UN Global Survey (coordinated by ECLAC) and the reform management tool UNCTAD Reform TrackerThe event will demonstrate how Latin America can use these tools in an integrated way to accelerate its trade facilitation agendas.
- Date: 10 de Diciembre de 2025
- Panelists:
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- Sebastian Herreros (ECLAC)
- Pamela Ugaz (UNCTAD)
- Moderator:
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- Maria Elsa Colonel (TCI – Argentina Focal Point)
- Registration:
Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the tools that are shaping the future of trade in the region!
Content developed by the Trade & Compliance Institute, for publication in Customs News.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
