The Maldives, a country of over 1,190 islands in the Indian Ocean with a population of approximately 350,000 people, has unique challenges due to its recent graduation from least developed country (LDC) status in 2011 and the resulting loss of trade preferences that it had been accorded as an LDC.

On 14 March 2014, Chad’s Minister for Commerce and Industry, H.E. Mr Abderahim Bireme Hamid launched the first EIF Tier 2 project in Chad. The Tier 2 project seeks to promote the gum arabic sector in Chad in view of the expanding export base that is predominately based on oil.