Digital trade means operating cross-border processes digitally rather than on paper or by email. It means:​

• Enablilng exporters to provide data about their shipment digitally and natively, sharing it conveniently in real-time with their importing customer.

• Using that data to automate processes that are currently manual.

• Consuming data provided by exporters directly rather than having to re-key it into local systems on the import side (accounting, logistics, warehousing, customs).

• Using data to:

  • Speed up invoice confirmations and approvals​

  • Accelerate cash payments to exporters using third party funding, potentially collecting discounts on invoices for doing so

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The app allows you, as an importer, to calculate what kind of savings you could expect from trade digitalisation. Some key points:

• Even smaller companies can achieve these kinds of benefits because trade digitalisation can be delivered without significant investments in new systems or processes.

• The savings shown here arise from efficiencies. As you will see, exporters are the ones doing the work to digitise their documents. How the benefits are then distributed between exporters and importers is a matter of commercial negotiation - but there are real and substantial savings to be made.