Making trade cheaper, faster, simpler, sustainable
We have been at the heart of driving the trade digitalisation agenda since 2016 and played a leading role in setting the world on a trajectory to modernise trade and ensure the trading system is fit for purpose for the 21st century. Digitalisation is an enabler to reducing risk and cost, unlocking growth, driving productivity, improving access to finance and promoting transparency. We advocate for open, interoperable systems that are agnostic to technology solutions.

Priorities
- Remove all policy, legal, and regulatory barriers to digitalising trade
- Promote an international standards-led approach to:
- Harmonising trade data and ensuring information can flow unimpeded across platforms, systems and jurisdictions.
- Establishing an interoperable cross-border digital identity framework
- Foster thought leadership and innovation
- Promote international best practice

Achievements
Our achievements include providing the first ICC Digital Trade Roadmap. We played a pivotal role with the WTO Friends for Ecommerce and Development, culminating in the launch of WTO Ecommerce negotiations in 2017, helped secure the 2021 G7 Ministerial Commitment to remove legal barriers and secured the 2023 Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting commitment to launch a legal reform and digitalisation programme. We also helped lay the ground for the Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023.
As a result of our work, 80% of international contracts, 60% of global trade finance and 80% of shipping documentation can be digitalised. Average trade transaction times have been slashed from 2-3 months to 1 hour, and trade transaction costs and cross-border processing times have been reduced by 80%. UK trade treaties now contain clauses to remove legal barriers and align national laws to UNCITRAL Model Laws.
Taskforces & Working Groups
There is a range of forums that members and stakeholders can engage with to support trade digitalisation priorities.
Trade Digitalisation Taskforce
The Trade Digitalisation Taskforce was launched in 2023 and is Co-Chaired by ICC United Kingdom, Minister for Exports at the Department for Business and Trade and Barclays. Its purpose is to develop policy recommendations and solutions for industry and government in 4 areas:
- Reducing regulatory barriers to improve access to finance
- Fraud prevention
- Digitalisation – the Roadmap to Digitalise UK Trade
- Streamlining Know Your Customer processes
The Taskforce is open to international and financial institutions, industry bodies, companies, solution providers and government and meets 2-3 times a year.
Corporate Digitalisation Taskforce
The Corporate Digitalisation Taskforce was launched in 2024 and is Co-Chaired by ICC United Kingdom, Department for Business and Trade and Association of Corporate Treasurers. Its purpose is to accelerate the pace and scale of adoption of international best practice. The taskforce is for companies (buyers and sellers) only, sponsored by Lloyds and Mitigram and meets 2-3 times a year.
Solution Providers Working Group
The Solution Providers Working Group, launched in 2023, is a members-only forum for trade technology firms and meets 2-3 times a year. Its purpose is to share and disseminate best practice solutions including:
- Contributing to case study reports
- Supporting government and the Teesside Digital Trade Test Bed
- Developing practical business guides i.e. Guide to Digitalising Trade Transactions
- Developing practical business tools i.e. Cash Conversation Calculator
ICC Working Group on Model Digitalisation Contract Clauses
The Working Group is a members-only global forum that supports the ICC Commission on Commercial Law and Practice and was set up in 2023 on the request of ICC United Kingdom. Its purpose is to provide model legal clauses to help accelerate the pace and scale of trade digitalisation.

ICC Digital Standards Initiative (DSI)
The Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) is a global initiative based in Singapore, backed by an international Governance Board comprising leaders from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Enterprise Singapore, the Asian Development Bank, the World Trade Organisation and the World Customs Organisation.
The ICC Digital Standards Initiative aims to accelerate the development of a globally harmonised, digitalised trade environment, as a key enabler of dynamic, sustainable, inclusive growth. We engage the public sector to progress regulatory and institutional reform, and mobilise the private sector on standards harmonisation, adoption, and capacity building.
ICC United Kingdom is a member, and former Chair, of the DSI Legal Reform Advisory Board.
To find out more, visit: https://www.dsi.iccwbo.org/

The FIT Alliance
The FIT Alliance was formed in February 2022 with five founding members: BIMCO, DCSA, FIATA, ICC and SWIFT. The key objectives of the FIT Alliance are to raise awareness and accelerate adoption of a standards-based electronic bill of lading (eBL) across all sectors of the shipping industry: a universal eBL.
A universal eBL would benefit all stakeholders involved in the global supply chain whether in bulk shipping or container shipping. By way of example, achieving 100% adoption of a standards-based eBL in the container shipping sector would benefit not only this sector but the global economy and the planet. According to McKinsey, universal eBL could:
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Save the industry $6.5 B in documentation costs vs. physical bills of lading (B/L)
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Unlock over $7 B in gains by reducing inventory and financing costs and enabling new business models
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Unlock $30-40 B in global trade growth by reducing trade friction, especially for emerging markets
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Save 28,000 trees per year and significantly reduce carbon emissions by eliminating paper
The FIT Alliance is working to catalyse this by creating a technological and legal foundation for international trade documentation based on DCSA, BIMCO and FIATA eBL standards, all of which are aligned with the UN/CEFACT Multimodal Transport Reference Data Model. Additionally, DCSA and SWIFT are in the process of developing eBL platform interoperability standards.
For more information visit: https://www.fit-alliance.org/

Commonwealth and B20
ICC United Kingdom, the COMESA Business Council and the Bangladesh government Co-Chair the B2B Cluster of The Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda and Legal Reform and Digitalisation Working Group.
ICC United Kingdom also Co-Chair the B20 South Africa Taskforce on Digital Transformation.

International Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation (iC4DTI)
The International Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation (iC4DTI) is an independent, not-for-profit Community Interest Company established to drive the digital transformation of trade on a global scale. It is a partnership which includes five government departments with industry and academia and acts as a global benchmark on how to accelerate the implementation of trade digitalisation in support of the ICC Digital Standards Initiative at the international level.
Launched in December 2024, iC4DTI builds on the success of the Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation (C4DTI), which was co-founded in 2022 by ICC United Kingdom, HM Revenue and Customs, Tees Valley Combined Authority and Teesside University. Originally established as a UK-based public–private partnership, the Centre evolved into an international body in response to growing global demand, particularly from emerging economies for guidance, expertise and practical support in modernising trade.
To learn more visit: https://ic4dti.org/