Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries, contributes to sustainable and inclusive economic development in developing countries through the expansion of exports from these countries to Europe. CBI was established in 1971.
They are part of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and are funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is their belief that trade is a good means to stimulate economic growth and promote employment. By supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries entering the European market they promote the integration of these countries in global value chains. They thereby help these countries, entrepreneurs and employees profit from the advantages trade brings.
They do not just aim to improve exports in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a starting point for all their activities. When they choose sectors and countries to start new programmes and select companies to participate they do not just look at opportunities on the European market, but also at opportunities for reducing CSR risks.
What makes them unique is their so called integrated approach. This integrated approach entails involving many different stakeholders in their work, from SMEs to business support organisations, governments and international organisations. In this way they can tackle many different issues that impede exports.
