Timeline
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Digital Trade Milestone: EU Strengthens Global Cooperation Through WTO Framework
On February 6, 2025, the European Commission unveiled a groundbreaking Council Decision to establish the EU and Member States’ position for upcoming WTO negotiations. This decision aims to amend Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement, addressing the Agreement on Electronic Commerce and setting the stage for the first global framework governing Digital Trade. The proposed… Read more
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India Plans to Sets Up a Dedicated Agency to Digitalise Trade Documents and Finance
The Indian government has announced plans to establish BharatTradeNet, a unified digital platform for trade documentation and financing, modeled after UPI (Unified Payments Interface). This initiative, revealed in the Budget speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, aims to digitize trade documentation, streamline agency interactions, and improve export credit access. Key Highlights of BharatTradeNet: Timeline &… Read more
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A Path to Paperless Trade: Analysing the Legal Gaps and Economic Benefit of Adopting or Maintaining a Legal Framework that Takes into Account the MLETR
APEC has an opportunity to realise the significant benefits arising from paperless trade in the region. APEC wide adoption of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR), or equivalent arrangements, can help to achieve this. The benefits of moving along this path to paperless trade are significant – estimated to be as high… Read more
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EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement Embraces MLETR for Digital Trade Efficiency
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
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Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are widely recognized as engines for growth and inclusion, particularly in EMDEs (namely Bangladesh, Republic of China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan and Vietnam). They play a crucial role in fostering economic development by creating jobs, stimulating innovation, and driving competition. In most EMDEs, MSMEs constitute a significant portion of… Read more
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Study on Convergences and Divergences of Free Trade Agreements in the APEC Region
This report has been prepared pursuant to the project “Study on Convergences and Divergences of Free Trade Agreements in the APEC region”, which consists of conducting a study to compare the content of the following Regional Trade Agreements/Free Trade Agreements (RTA/FTAs): The objective of the study is to discuss areas of convergence and divergence across… Read more
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A New Milestone for Digital Trade Interoperability Takes Center Stage
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
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Public Key Infrastructure: Implementing High-Trust Electronic Signatures
As countries progress in their digital transformation journeys, establishing trust in digital interactions becomes increasingly vital. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a critical enabler of secure and trustworthy electronic transactions, constituting a key component of a country’s digital public infrastructure. This policy note focuses on how governments can effectively implement PKI at a national level—complementing… Read more
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Highlights of the 2024 APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration
The 2024 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting concluded in Lima, Peru, with the issuance of the Machu Picchu Declaration, underscoring the commitment of the 21 member economies to foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Key Highlights of the Declaration: The Machu Picchu Declaration reflects APEC’s ongoing efforts to address regional challenges and… Read more
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Digitalisation has significantly changed how international trade is conducted, both via the use of digital platforms to facilitate the exchange of non-digital goods and services, as well as through the increase in digitally deliverable exports, including financial and professional services, and mobile apps and content. The impact of digitalisation of trade is of particular significance… Read more