Edition 03 | July 2025
Welcome to TraydGuru Insights, your regular briefing on the evolving landscape of digital and traditional trade finance. As technology continues to reshape global trade operations, staying informed of emerging practices, regulatory developments, and innovation trends is critical.
Each edition offers practical perspectives, analysis of market shifts, and a closer look at how digital tools are transforming trade processes. Whether you are enhancing operational models, navigating compliance, or driving new business strategies, TraydGuru brings clarity to a rapidly changing trade world.
GLEIF
The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) has introduced the Global Partners Program, a new initiative uniting data vendors, financial institutions, corporates, and technology leaders to accelerate the adoption of the LEI and vLEI. Designed to foster collaboration and innovation, the program offers partners global exposure, strategic insights, and opportunities to showcase (v)LEI-enabled solutions. Participation is open and free, with optional contributions supporting shared initiatives to strengthen the Global LEI System and advance a more trusted digital economy.
https://www.gleif.org/en/about/gleif-engagement/gleif-partners-program
IOTA Foundation
Trade stakeholders at the IOTA East Africa Web3 Innovation Summit have called for the urgent adoption of digitised trade systems, highlighting outdated paper-based processes, fragmented data systems, and a lack of trust in trade documentation as major barriers to unlocking the full potential of trade in Africa and globally.
https://techtrendske.co.ke/2025/06/02/summit-calls-for-urgent-move-to-digital-trade-in-africa/
ICC
Conducted across 68 countries, a recent survey shows that 77% of firms report direct or knock-on risks from the tariffs, and 48% say the measures have already impacted their supply chains or market strategy.
Digital Standards Initiative (DSI)
DSI recently participated in UNCITRAL’s high-level seminar on Negotiable Cargo Documents, a timely initiative that addresses legal gaps in the digitalisation of cargo documents including those for multimodal transport. The NCD builds on existing industry standards, while aligning with the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR).
https://uncitral.un.org/en/ncdconference2025
AI Chatbots
Government procurement is an important aspect of global trade. Public sector purchasing decisions affect international supply chains and influence economic dynamics. Since these operations are complex and substantial, even small inefficiencies can lead to significant financial losses and operational delays.
Tokenised trade finance
The current architecture of global trade is built on a series of legal constructs and intermediaries, such as documentary credits, bills of lading, and third-party guarantees, that function primarily to compensate for the absence of direct trust between parties. These mechanisms, while necessary, introduce inefficiencies in the form of delays, added costs, and operational complexity. In contrast, blockchain technology offers a fundamentally different model: by recording transactions on tamper-resistant, cryptographically secured distributed ledgers, it reduces the need for traditional trust proxies and enables faster, more transparent settlements.
DP World
DP World Trade Finance and JP Morgan have partnered to expand access to working capital in emerging markets, where supply chain disruptions and limited credit constrain trade.
With a global trade finance gap of $2.5 trillion, many businesses struggle to secure affordable credit due to limited credit data. This partnership aims to close that gap by sharing risk on trade finance transactions.
https://www.porttechnology.org/news/dp-world-j-p-morgan-partner-to-boost-trade-finance/
Bank Guarantees
Even though the core principles behind bank guarantees have been repeatedly upheld by the judiciary, the approach to non-intervention seems to have become routine, more a matter of habit than thoughtful judicial discretion.
World Economic Forum
For years, a succession of disruptions has left global supply chains in a near-constant state of uncertainty and instability. While some continue to debate whether the pandemic was the primary cause, the underlying strains long predated COVID-19. In many respects, the pandemic merely exposed how increasingly lean and tightly optimised supply chains had become, leaving them more susceptible to global shocks impacting multiple sectors simultaneously.
Autonomous ship trials
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is collaborating with a Japanese shipping group to trial an unmanned vessel.
AI documentary credit
Hana Bank announced that it will implement the ‘non-face-to-face artificial intelligence (AI) export letter of credit purchase review’ service to automate import and export for the first time in the financial sector.
https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-finance/2025/05/09/75IZNOWSAVHVRHPKGXOQDMBDL4/
Internet of Things
IoT is going from a “market with potential into a major demand centre”, according to Transforma Insights. A new forecast report from the firm says the total number of active IoT devices will more than double over the next 10 years to reach 40.6 billion, up from 17.7 billion today.
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250612/internet-of-things/iot-double-transforma
Trade Finance Global
UK firms are better prepared for trade volatility after a decade of global disruptions.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/calm-before-storm-how-uk-corporates-anticipating-8cw1c/
ICC
Cross-border data flows are essential for efficient global supply chains, enabling real-time coordination and logistics across borders. ICC provides concrete recommendations to align policies with operational realities and keep trade flowing.
Enigio
In a major milestone for cross-border trade digitalisation, Lloyds has successfully completed a live transaction for UK retailer Matalan and Chinese exporter Yatex. The transaction included a fully digital bill of exchange, with all other supporting documents powered by Enigio’s trace:original.
https://enigio.com/post/retail-trade-goes-digital-matalan-yatex-enigio-lloyds-china/
Sustainable Trade Finance
A group of leading Trade Finance banks announced their endorsement of the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance. This group, and further supporting banks, collectively represent as much as 25% of the global trade finance market by volume.
China documentary credits
China has deliberately expanded the use of domestic letters of credit, enabling its exporters to shift smoothly to the domestic market while mitigating the risks of payment uncertainty.
Trade Finance market
Trade finance is expected to experience substantial growth, driven by ongoing disruption and rapid technological advancements aimed at strengthening digitised supply chain finance. The market remains highly fragmented, reflecting the widespread participation of traders, importers, and exporters across the globe.
Global Trade and Blockchain
Historically, international trade was heavily reliant on extensive paperwork and manual processes. However, the sector is undergoing a significant transformation towards digitalisation. Among the emerging technologies driving this shift, blockchain stands out for its potential to enhance transparency and modernise trade operations.
Nigeria documentary credits
According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, these transactions rose by 3.68 percent in the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
https://economicconfidential.com/2025/06/nigeria-bankable-again/
HSBC
HSBC launched HSBC TradePay-i, a shariah compliant digital trade finance solution in Malaysia, aimed at boosting liquidity of businesses in the country.
https://technode.global/2025/06/23/hsbc-launches-shariah-compliant-digital-trade-finance-solution/
ICC Dispute Resolution
The annual ICC Dispute Resolution Statistics offer a comprehensive overview of disputes submitted to the ICC International Court of Arbitration and the ICC International Centre for ADR. They provide an in-depth breakdown of the numbers and global reach of ICC Arbitration and other ICC Dispute Resolution Services worldwide.
https://iccwbo.org/news-publications/news/icc-dispute-resolution-statistics-2024/
UKEF
Up to £13 billion of direct lending will be used to help boost British exports across key industrial sectors as part of new growth measures spearheaded by UK Export Finance (UKEF).
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukef-unveils-new-strategic-financing-for-industrial-growth
Finextra
AI is paving the way for truly intelligent systems that can learn from patterns, adapt to anomalies, and make sense of fragmented or inconsistent data.
For trade finance, the benefits of AI-powered reconciliation are huge, offering a real lifeline in the current market.
UK Trade Strategy
New Trade Strategy to protect and boost British business. Expands UK Export Finance (UKEF)’s capacity by £20 billion to a total of £80 billion, announces a new Small Export Builder to give smaller firms better access to export protection insurance, and introduces improvements to help overseas buyers finance repeat orders from trusted UK suppliers in a more streamlined way.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-trade-strategy-to-protect-and-boost-british-business
World Trade Organization
Global goods trade saw a notable surge in early 2025, largely fuelled by importers accelerating purchases in anticipation of rising tariffs. However, this upswing may prove short-lived, as a downturn in export orders raises concerns about the durability of the trend. The WTO’s latest Goods Trade Barometer climbed to 103.5, up from 102.8 in March, yet the forward-looking index of new export orders declined to 97.9, signalling a potential slowdown in trade growth in the months ahead.
https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news25_e/wtoi_26jun25_e.htm
About TraydGuru
TraydGuru is dedicated to making digital and traditional trade finance more accessible, understandable, and actionable. With a focus on operational innovation, emerging market practices, and regulatory developments, TraydGuru Bulletin provides trade professionals with clear analysis and practical perspectives. In a world where technology is reshaping every aspect of global commerce, TraydGuru helps you navigate change – and lead it.