Much has been achieved since the Aid for Trade Initiative became operational in 2006. The initiative has succeeded in raising awareness among developing countries and donor agencies about the positive role that trade can play in promoting economic growth and development. Since 2006, a total of USD 246.5 billion in official development assistance and USD 190.7 billion in trade-related other official flows has been disbursed to contribute to financing aid-for-trade programmes. There is now ample empirical evidence suggesting that aid for trade is broadly correlated with increases in trade. Despite these achievements, a number of challenges loom as the Aid-for-Trade Initiative needs to adapt to the 2015 development agenda, with its focus on Sustainable Development Goals, such as maintaining focus, scaling up, ensuring poverty impact, enhancing effectiveness, ensuring sustainability, expanding partnerships. Embedding a trade cost perspective at the centre of the Aid-for-Trade Initiative would provide an operational focal point for action among a broad collation of stakeholders.