In our latest quarterly issue: Trade digitization as a key enabler of supply chain resilience during Covid-19 disruptions, the drive towards digital trade standards and paperless trade facilitation, key digital trade & trade finance milestones across the globe plus much more! + SUBSCRIBE

Industry News & Views

COVID and the case for digital standards: Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) whitepaper posits that the container shipping industry can save $4B annually if it implements the DCSA's proposed eB/L standards (source:SupplyChainBrain via DCSA). + READ MORE

Risk, resilience, and rebalancing in global value chains: A report on building supply chain resilience in light of Covid-19 argues that digital trade can deliver major benefits to efficiency & transparency that are yet to be fully realized (source: McKinsey Global Institute). + READ MORE

Banks View Digitising Trade Finance as a Top Priority: Highlights from the ICC's 2020 Trade Finance Survey, where 77% of the 346 banking respondents consider transitioning to digital as a key means to grow their trade finance business (source: FintechNews Singapore). + READ MORE

‘Rules as data’ – 21st century answer for trade facilitation?: Insightful opinion piece advocating for an Internet of Rules (IoR), rules-as-data approach for trade, to harmonize standards & address inequalities in access to information & digital compliance (source: EIF). + READ MORE

Trade facilitation in times of pandemic – practices from South and South West Asia: Investigating the region’s progress in trade facilitation measures implemented, plus further opportunities in digitizing customs procedures & more (source: UNESCAP). + READ MORE

Africa Trade Pact Negotiators to Fast-Track E-Commerce Talks: Negotiations for e-commerce and digital trade under an Africa-wide free trade pact will be fast-tracked as Covid-19 heightens the need for a legal & governance framework (source: Bloomberg News Network). + READ MORE

Time to double down on trade digitisation? On counting virtual beans: TXF’s Katherine Morton looks at the distinctions between virtual & real in trade digitization, examining how the crisis is impacting the drive to digital plus the challenges ahead (source: TXF). + READ MORE

Why trade facilitation reform requires mainstreaming digital technologies: A position on tech as a key bolster for trade facilitation efforts, while arguing that existing rules aren't able to meet the technical needs of a digitally-enabled economy (source: LSE Business Review). + READ MORE

The IPPC ePhyto Solutions Go Live in Fiji and New Zealand: The two nations join a growing list of countries moving to paperless Phyto Certificates to facilitate trade and act as a preventive measure during Covid-19 (source: IPPC). + READ MORE

Vale completes its first sale of iron ore using blockchain technology with Nanjing Iron & Steel: Vale continues to break new ground in digitizing metals supply chains with its first ever blockchain iron ore transaction, enabled by Contour & essDOCS (source: Vale). + READ MORE

ICC Global Survey on Trade Finance (2020): Check out the ICC’s latest annual trade finance survey, feat. insights on the impact of Covid-19 & banks’ views on the key role of digital trade solutions in ensuring future trade/finance growth (source: ICC). + READ MORE

Trade Finance Digitization – The risks: GTR’s Maddy White argues that due to Covid-19, ‘make do’ solutions were introduced to keep goods moving, causing some concern for trade finance stakeholders over the risks of digitalization (source: GTR). + READ MORE

Webinar Recording – NGFDS Barge Digital Transformation: Take a peek inside the NGFA-led NGFDS Barge Digital Transformation BDT) Platform, powered by CargoDocs, in a recording of a recent webinar hosted by NGFA & Grain Journal (source: NGFA). + READ MORE

Podcast Recording – Why the trade finance sector is ripe for reform: essDOCS Co-CEO Alexander Goulandris discusses reform and innovation in trade finance alongside Contour CEO Carl Wegner & CPO Joshua Kroeker (source: Contour). + READ MORE

Webinar Recording – Accelerating Digital Trade in India amid the 'New Normal': Expert panel insights on the Indian digital trade ecosystem, regional bank & corporate initiatives, and key regulatory efforts to accelerate digitization in India (source: Portall via Youtube). + READ MORE

Trade finance stumbles into the digital era: essDOCS Co-CEO Alexander Goulandris speaks with The Economist for its coverage on how the Covid-19 pandemic is expediting digitization in the paper-based trade finance industry (source: The Economist). + READ MORE

essDOCS News

essDOCS Partners with Infosys Finacle for Blockchain Technology Led Trade Finance Automation: Announcing our partnership & integration of CargoDocs with Finacle Trade Connect to jointly accelerate digitization of trade finance for Indian banks & corporates. + READ MORE

essDOCS & Portall partner to deliver electronic bill of lading and digital trade documents in India: Extending the use of CargoDocs eB/Ls in India, incl. integration with Portall’s P-CaSo platform connected to India’s Port Community System (PCS 1x). + READ MORE

Temenos adds essDOCS’ CargoDocs solution to Temenos MarketPlace to digitize Trade Finance processes: Announcing our partnership with Temenos, incl. the integration of CargoDocs with Temenos Transact & the addition of our solution to Temenos MarketPlace. + READ MORE

US Agri Houses & Barge Lines start testing Barge Digital Transformation (BDT) Platform: The NGFA-led Barge Digital Transformation (BDT) Platform, powered by CargoDocs, will digitize 100k annual North-South US Agri Barge shipments. + READ MORE

Arch Resources & Javelin Global Commodities go live with Tata Steel Europe on CargoDocs: Paperless trade continues to expand in metals & minerals supply chains, as Arch Coal. & Javelin Global Commodities go live with CargoDocs for coal export. + READ MORE

POSCO goes live with CargoDocs in Rio Tinto transaction: Korean steelmaker POSCO is now live with CargoDocs, having completed its first shipment using eB/Ls and marking the first ever use of CargoDocs for iron ore import into the Asian nation. + READ MORE

Hyundai Steel goes live with CargoDocs in Rio Tinto transaction: Korean steelmaker Hyundai Steel recently completed its first ever shipment using eB/Ls, acting as importer in a trade involving Rio Tinto as exporter. + READ MORE

PKO Bank Polski becomes the first Polish bank to adopt CargoDocs: Signing up for CargoDocs ePresentation to support its corporate customers’ use of electronic presentation under eUCP Letters of Credit & eDocumentary Collections. + READ MORE

Lithuania embraces essCert electronic Certificates of Origin: Lithuanian Chambers Of Commerce embrace essCert electronic Certificates Of Origin, joining the world's largest eCO network. + READ MORE

Record-breaking 100k monthly documents processed using essCert: essCert electronic Certificate Of Origin (eCO) uptake hits record-breaking levels, exceeding 100k documents processed during June. + READ MORE

essDOCS in Numbers