The Electronic Trade Documents Act Comes into Force

The Electronic Trade Documents Act comes into force today, 20th September 2023. I have repeatedly described it as one of the most important laws you’ve never heard of because, although it is a small sounding law with a simple purpose – to permit electronic trade documents on the same legal basis as paper documents – …

Committee Stage of the Electronic Trade Documents Bill nears completion

I am currently sitting as a member of the Special Public Bill Committee tasked with the job of considering the Electronic Trade Documents Bill. We have just concluded three weeks of evidence sessions, hearing from expert witnesses from the legal, trade and technology sectors. We will now be deliberating over that evidence and awaiting confirmation …

Electronic Trade Documents Bill

One of the most important bills you’ve never heard of Today (12th October 2022), in the House of Lords, the Government introduced an incredibly important piece of legislation. The Electronic Trade Documents Bill will allow the digitization of trade documents. A small sounding Bill, it is nonetheless one that will have a colossal impact. This …

21st Century Frictionless Trade – Lords debate UK EU Trade Agreement

“My Lords, there exists a need, there exists an opportunity, a pressing need, a potentially transformational opportunity. The need for a border fit for the 21st Century, the opportunity; a digitally enabled, free trade flowing, free trade growing border delivered by the best of our talent deploying the best of our technologies. Artificial Intelligence, Distributed …

21st Century Frictionless Trade: The UK can lead but govt. must act.

Today [Tuesday 15th September] I am delighted to publish a new Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) report on “Reducing Friction in International Trade” (RFIT). Using a combination of distributed ledger technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) devices the RFIT project demonstrates a comprehensive supply chain data management system for Australia/UK wine imports in which all the …