News & Politics

  • EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement Embraces MLETR for Digital Trade Efficiency

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    BRUSSELS, 31 January 2025 – The European Union and the Republic of Singapore plan to extend a pioneering digital trade agreement incorporating key elements of the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Documents (MLETR) developed by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) as a step to modernise cross-border trade. MLETR Integration in the… Read more

  • A New Milestone for Digital Trade Interoperability Takes Center Stage

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    The recent announcements by ICE Digital Trade (formerly essDOCS) and IQAX enabling interoperability for electronic transferable documents represent a significant step forward in the digital transformation of trade finance. These developments allow electronic bills of lading to be seamlessly transferred across approved systems, reducing complexity and fostering efficiency across global supply chains. Why is this… Read more

  • Digital Trade Governance: The UK’s Approach

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    Digital technologies have affected international trade relations and what is traded across borders, giving rise to digital trade. Digital trade has become an important part of international trade discussions, requiring specific policies and measures at different regulatory levels. Together these are referred to as digital trade governance. Good digital trade governance aims to enable cross-border… Read more

  • Trafigura Leads the Way with a Groundbreaking $2.885 Billion Syndicated Facility Leveraging Electronic Bills of Lading (eBL)

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    In a transformative move for global trade finance, Trafigura, in partnership with ING and 27 other lenders, has successfully executed a $2.885 billion borrowing base facility using electronic Bills of Lading (eBL) as collateral. This pioneering transaction demonstrates the growing influence of digitization in trade finance, supported by the UK’s Electronic Trade Documents Act (ETDA),… Read more

  • Driving the Future of Trade Finance: How Digital Standards are Paving the Way for Paperless Trade

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    At Sibos 2024 in Beijing, industry leaders convened to discuss the accelerating digitalisation of global trade. A notable session featured Ben Arber, CEO of Complidata, in conversation with Pamela Mar, Managing Director of the Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Their discussion centered on the transition to paperless trade finance… Read more

  • EU Council Approves Strategic Plan to Strengthen Europe’s Digital Infrastructure and Cybersecurity

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    On December 6, 2024, the Council of the European Union approved conclusions regarding the European Commission’s White Paper titled “How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?” This approval underscores the EU’s commitment to advancing secure, resilient, and high-capacity digital infrastructures across member states. Key Highlights: These conclusions align with the EU’s broader objectives of achieving… Read more

  • Indonesia’s Trade Policy Regime amidst Global Challenges

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    The global trade environment is marked by geopolitical shifts, fragmenting globalization. This fragmentation poses substantial implications for emerging economies in Asia and ASEAN, including Indonesia. ASEAN economies have benefited immensely from globalization over the past four to five decades, with major progress driven by integration into the global economy. However, growing geopolitical tensions, from Ukraine… Read more

  • ICC DSI Launches Digital Trade Reliability Assessment Tool  

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    A technical tool to assess the reliability of digital services or networks, launched today, will facilitate the transfer of Electronic Transferable Records (ETR) between supply chain parties. Developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)’s Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) and the Digital Governance Council (DGC) of Canada, the new assessment framework enables an entity to… Read more

  • Project Aperta: Enabling Cross-Border Data Portability Through Open Finance Interoperability

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    The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is launching Project Aperta to explore how to reduce frictions and costs in global finance by enabling seamless cross-border data portability. The project aims to connect the domestic open finance infrastructures of different jurisdictions. The initial use case to be explored is in trade finance for small and medium-sized… Read more

  • A Vision for the WTO’s Global Digital Trade Rules

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    At the 13th Ministerial Conference in 2024, World Trade Organization (WTO) members demonstrated their commitment to advancing digital trade rules—those which govern both the trade of digital products and the digital processes used in international trade—by calling for the revitalization of the 1998 work program on electronic commerce. That directive is the foundation of the… Read more