In our latest quarterly issue: Covid-19 accelerates trade digitization to bolster supply chain resilience as challenges remain, digital trade & trade finance standards take shape, governments and trading blocs announce initiatives to support post-pandemic recovery plus much more! + SUBSCRIBE

Industry News & Views

DCSA Publishes Standards for the Bill of Lading: Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) takes major step towards digital standards for the electronic bill of lading (eB/L), set to play a key role in accelerating the industry’s move to paperless (source: DCSA). + READ MORE

Mapping TradeTech – Trade in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: World Economic Forum publishes report on the state of emerging trade technology, incl. insights into opportunities & challenges around the use of AI, IoT, blockchain & more (source: WEF). + READ MORE

Video – EY CEO on Economic Recovery, Supply Chain Digitization & ESG: EY CEO talks Covid supply chain disruptions & post-Covid recovery, incl. insights from survey findings on supply chain digitization, plus the need for investing in ESG in these times (source: Bloomberg). + READ MORE

Commodity-finance industry in Singapore gets code of best practices: Aiming to provide a benchmark for banks' lending standards and make Singapore more resilient and competitive as a global commodity trading hub (source: Business Times). + READ MORE

Trade Financing – Enabling Trade-Based Economic Recovery: Trade Finance expert, A.R Malaket, argues that creating a solid foundation for trade’s Covid-19 recovery demands that all actors move decisively to digital trade / finance (source: International Banker). + READ MORE

ASEAN countries launch customs system to boost trade: Economic ministers from the ASEAN member countries have launched the ASEAN Customs Transit Systems (ACTS) to improve the flow of goods across the region (source: Port Technology). + READ MORE

UN & EIF Launch Interactive Guide On Cross-Border Paperless Trade: UNESCAP, in collaboration with UNCITRAL and EIF launch interactive guide to support country readiness assessments for cross-border paperless trade (source: UNESCAP). + READ MORE

RCEP – Asia-Pacific countries form world's largest trading bloc: 15 APAC countries, including China, Japan and South Korea, have formed the world's largest trading bloc, The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) (source: BBC News). + READ MORE

Information Sharing Communities for Digitally Enabled Supply Chain Visibility: UNCTAD calls for more data sharing and interoperability across the physical and financial supply chain, to make shipping more efficient, sustainable and resilient (source: UNCTAD). + READ MORE

COVID-19 Accelerates Drive For Digitisation Of Shipping: Port-focused overview on driving digital trade in shipping makes the case for reducing risks from paper-based transactions and human contact, while lowering costs and reducing trade disruption (source: HSN). + READ MORE

Should trade continue to be global after the pandemic?: Overview of trade challenges incl. fears of Covid-spurred protectionism, countered by opportunities for digitizing trade to increase transparency, access to finance & supply chain resilience (source: WEF). + READ MORE

Tech “first movers” recovered quickest from Covid-19 trade slowdown, report finds: UNCTAD Annual Review of Maritime Transport cites DCSA research noting sharp increase in eB/L adoption, as tech first movers recover quickest from slowdown (source: GTR). + READ MORE

Singapore trialling digital documentation with two Chinese ports to cut paperwork: As part of the Asian nation’s efforts to build its Networked Trade Platform (NTP), to allow for electronic document exchange (source: The Straits Times). + READ MORE

Blockchain & DLT in trade – A reality check: Insights on the current state of DLT / blockchain in trade from a recent whitepaper by TFG & the WTO, covering key projects, companies, consortia and standardization initiatives in the DLT trade / finance space (source: TFG). + READ MORE

Supply Chain Finance (SCF) in the time of Covid: Despite industry fears, since Covid-19, demand for SCF has soared & funding has remained stable, further supported by digitization to enable better risk management and supply chain resilience (source: GTR). + READ MORE

essDOCS News

US Agri Houses & Barge Lines go live with Barge Digital Transformation (BDT) Solution: US agri barge trade goes digital, as the CargoDocs-powered NGFDS Barge Digital Transformation (BDT) solution goes live with a large network of shippers, traders & carriers. + READ MORE

Key Takeaways from the essDOCS Webinar on Paperless Trade in Metals & Minerals: Key takeaways plus video recording from our webinar on paperless trade in metals & minerals, featuring expert panel insights from the ICC, Rio Tinto & HSBC. + READ MORE

Rana Gruber goes live with CargoDocs executing its first paperless transaction in record time: Rana Gruber recently went live with CargoDocs in an iron oxide concentrate shipment; one of the fastest go-lives for an eB/L transaction executed end-to-end in just 30 min. + READ MORE

essDOCS & AfricaPLC partner to accelerate use of digital trade documents in Africa: Partnership extends the use of our digital trade solutions in Africa, accelerating paperless trade across the continent and connecting AfCFTA countries with global markets. + READ MORE

Ferrexpo & thyssenkrupp Steel go live with CargoDocs electronic bills of lading: Metals & minerals supply chains continue to make significant headway in paperless trade as Ferrexpo & Thyssenkrupp join growing no. of companies adopting CargoDocs. + READ MORE

Webinar Recording – Adopting electronic Bills of Lading at Indian Ports: Why the time is now: Panel insights from essDOCS, Kolkata Port Trust & Portall Infosystems on how recent efforts between Indian trade stakeholders are enabling eB/L adoption in India today. + READ MORE

essDOCS in Numbers