interoperability
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Indirect Taxation of e-Commerce and Digital Trade: Implications for Developing Countries
Digital transformation is drastically changing how people and businesses interact and conduct commerce. It is transforming social, business, and economic norms and changing the way we interact, consume and do business. This facilitates e-commerce in both existing and emerging markets and allows for more products to be delivered digitally. New opportunities for growth exist as… Read more
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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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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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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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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
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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
