Thank you for joining Enigio’s webinar: “Embracing digital trade is not a moonshot, it is possible today”
The answers to your questions
We received many interesting questions and our speakers have answered these below.
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Lars Karlsson, Maersk
We have been involved on all sides of Single Trade Window (STW) design, development, implementation, operational use and private sector use and utilization. We have supported the World Bank and National Governments in the design, development and implementation of more than 25 STWs in all regions and naturally we are users of STWs all around the world.
The key for the successful STW examples is always 1) Political Will/Leadership to do it 2) Agency data, process and task coordination on the Government side and 3) to do business process re-engineering before digitalization.
There are some really good examples around the world, but also many less successful attempts. Another important element is to connect Port Community Systems (PCS) to the National STW, as data pipelines and feeder systems. There can only be one NSTW, otherwise you instead create a greenhouse for growth of bad processing (digital instead of manual), only speeding up bad border processes.
From private sector user perspective, our experience is that this is probably the most important element of border reform to create predictable and fast border processing, or what we today call resilience of supply chains.
Hence, the technical and legal progress are changing the structure from everyone need to be connected with the platform, to only one party in the eco-system need to be connected with Enigio to digitalize the whole eco-system.
EU is actively taking the role of setting the future standard in data interaction, and increasing data exchange and demand between Private Sector and Government.
This is the EU strategy and the actions will only increase. We can see this also in relation to ICS2 and new ESG regulation implementation like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Deforestation.
I don’t think EU will be an isolated island in this respect, in fact US is already doing the same and many others are following.
The real risk is in implementation and application. While these new demands will drive trade digitalization and trade data supervision and use, with many positive opportunities as a result, it is all about how the implementation is done.
We don’t want EU or other regulatory bodies to make trade digitalization a driver of trade barriers, just like we don’t want to replace red tape for trade with green tape. If the trade digitalization agenda is done smart, when business is ready, then this will improve the outcome of the purpose behind the initiatives, while at the same time creating new opportunities. My advise to all private sector players, global or small, is, get ready. Start planning.
Yes. 100%.
I always describe TradeLens as expensive learning, extremely valuable, driving trade digitalization as thought-leaders. We took all the knowledge from TL home and implement these experiences in our own platforms. These platforms are developed in-house and in cooperation with partners. Same goes for the solutions we offer today and will offer tomorrow to our clients. Our ambition is to offer integrated end-to-end solutions, powered by data pipelines. Specifically for eBL we are evaluating, testing and using different options.
Our tech platforms and solutions are developed in-house and in cooperation with partners. Our strategic ambition is to offer integrated end-to-end solutions, powered by data pipelines. Specifically for eBL we are evaluating, testing and using different options. We will work with various partners and solutions making sure there are interoperability. On a more personal note in this context, I find Enigios solutions as one of the leading ones in the market.
Great question, since we for global trade going forward need to accelerate the processes of borders, which I normally describe as the black-box-of-the-border’. Our experience is positive. We work on through-leadership projects as well as practical modernization, digitalization and data interaction projects with various Governments and border agencies all around the world. Governments are today more aware of the need of efficient borders in relation to growth of the economy and there are increasing demands and willingness to simplify and digitalize the borders, by creating what we today call ‘Smart Borders’.
In fact, sometimes emerging economies are ‘leap-frogging’ faster than established markets, due to the fact that many developed economies have invested in border tech early, and are now caught in legacy systems.
Having said that, the new digital environment – Global Trade 2.0 – makes the PS-GOV interaction one of the areas we are optimistic about since the acceleration of digitalization of trade provides enormous possibilities for faster, safer and more predictable borders, especially for trusted trader, trusted trade lanes and trusted supply chains. I am optimistic, we see tremendous change right now.
Yes, we are involved in all of these initiatives of this kind and also alternative routings.
Yes, it is extremely important to be active through trade associations in international institutions and decision-making bodies. Secondly, we need to do more practical pilot projects together and become better in scaling outcomes of those type of sandbox experiments and initiatives. Here International institutions like UN, WTO, WCO, WEF, WB, IMF EU etc , Governments and Private s Sector (all the various stakeholders of the PS) work together. This is the way forward. As Elvis sang, ‘A little less conversation, a little more action’. From Maersk, we are always ready and willing to work with others to improve supply chains.
Rogier Van Lammeren, Lloyds Bank
Digital trade unlocks new financing opportunities for all parties.
Ulf Eggefors, Enigio
Enigio’s document-centric solution, trace:original, differs from platform centric eBL platforms, as it does not require the onboarding of all parties, or signing up to rulebooks. Trace:original’s eBL solution therefore received IGP&I approval in April 2024, as the first solution that is completely and solely operating under common law.
The UK common law change (the Electronic Trade Documents Act) which came into force in September 2023, recognised that electronic documents are a major enabler for global trade, with an estimated 80% of trade being based on English law. Enigio are engaging directly and indirectly with several carriers on the basis that we are not an eBL platform, but a freely transferable document solution, which in particular solves the pain-points for freight forwarders unable to onboard 5-6 different eBL platforms to serve exporters and importers.
Hence, the technical and legal progress is changing the structure from everyone needing to be connected with a platform, to only one party in the eco-system needing to be connected with Enigio to digitalize the whole eco-system.
Other questions?
Do you have other questions or considerations about implementing the UK Electronic Trade Documents Act?
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