Trade Finance Global (TFG), in collaboration with UK Export Finance and the Department for Business & Trade, is set to host a tradecast on 13th September 2023, one week before the Electronic Trade Documents Act (ETDA) comes into force. 

The ETDA, enacted on 20 July 2023, will be operational under English Law as of 20 September 2023. 

The legislation allows for the digitalisation of trade documents, including bills of lading and promissory notes, and is permissive in nature, enabling various actors to accept electronic forms of these documents legally.

Register here

The tradecast aims to fill the gap in understanding around the ETDA, helping stakeholders prepare for the transition to electronic trade documents. 

The event will be live-streamed on LinkedIn Live, YouTube, and Facebook Live, with post-event content available on an ungated hub.

The first session, moderated by Deepesh Patel, TFG, will feature Lord Holmes, House of Lords and Professor Sarah Green, Law Commission of England & Wales, among others. They will discuss the ETDA’s key components and its implications for the trade industry.

The second session, focusing on financial institutions and moderated by Natasha Roston, TFG, will include Andre Casterman, ITFA and Jon Boran, Lloyds Bank. The panel will explore how financial institutions are adapting to the ETDA.

A fireside chat on the ETDA’s compatibility with trade rules will feature David Meynell, Digital Rules Advisor, ICC C4DTI. The discussion will delve into how the ETDA aligns with international trade standards.

The fourth session, addressing the shipping and logistics perspective, will be moderated by Natasha Roston and include speakers like Grant Hunter, BIMCO and Dominique Willems,  DCSA. The panel will discuss the implications of the ETDA for port operators and freight forwarders.

The fifth and final session centred on ‘reliable’ systems, will be moderated by Jyodh Bilan, TFG. Speakers will include Miriam Golby, Queen Mary University, and Patrik Zekkar, Enigio. 

The panel will explore the criteria that determine the reliability of a system in the context of the ETDA.

The event is supported by association partners including ITFA, ICC United Kingdom, C4DTI, IOE&IT, DNI Initiative, and BExA.

Speakers:

  • Lord Chris Holmes, Peer, House of Lords
  • Ada Igboemeka, Deputy Director for Digital Trade, Department for Business & Trade
  • Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC United Kingdom
  • Luca Castellani, Legal Officer, Secretariat of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
  • Geoffrey Wynne, Head of the Trade & Export Finance Group, Sullivan
  • Professor Sarah Green, Commissioner for Commercial and Common Law, Law Commission of England & Wales
  • Andre Casterman, Board Member, ITFA
  • Jon Boran, Director, Trade Innovation and Solution Development, Lending & Working Capital, Lloyds Bank
  • Carl Williamson, Head of Trade Finance, UK Export Finance
  • David Meynell, Digital Rules Advisor, ICC United Kingdom Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation and Technology (C4DTI)
  • Grant Hunter, Director for Standards, Innovation and Research, BIMCO
  • Dominique Willems, Head of Public Affairs & Government Relations, Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA)
  • Boaz Lessem, General Counsel Head of Legal, WaveBL
  • Kevin Shakespeare, Director of Strategic Projects and International Development, IOE&IT
  • Nick Davies, Director, ICC United Kingdom Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation and Technology (C4DTI)
  • Patrik Zekkar, CEO, Enigio
  • Sean Edwards, Chairman, ITFA
  • Miriam Goldby, Professor of Shipping, Insurance and Commercial Law and Director of Research at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University London

For more information on how to register, click here.