Digitalisation and International Trade: What’s Changing and How To Get Ready

Join us for an insightful online webinar that explores the evolving landscape of international trade in the digital age.

We will delve into the advancements, challenges, and opportunities presented by the digitalization of cross-border trade, with a special focus on the newly enacted Electronic Trade Documents Act (ETDA) of July 2023.

During this interactive webinar we will explore:

• How advancement in the digitalisation of cross-border trade is bringing benefits for all
• The key and current challenges around digitalisation of international trade from a practical perspective
• The implications of the latest digital bill ETDA – Electronic Trade Documents Act, July 2023, on your business, market places and manufacturing
• Where and how you can prepare your business for the new ways of trading and what’s next

We are delighted to have with us two guests during this session

– The respected international trade consultant and thought leader in strategic trade – Dr Rebecca Harding.

Dr. Rebecca Harding is a Senior Fellow of the British Foreign Policy Group and an independent trade economist, public speaker and sustainable trade and supply chain specialist. In 2022 she was awarded the “Net Zero Entrepreneur of the Year” at the annual Scale Up Group’s Enterprise Awards event.

She has built three data-based technology businesses in the trade and sustainability space and held senior positions at Deloitte, London Business School, the Work Foundation, and UK Finance, where she was Chief Economist. She acted as Specialist Adviser to the Treasury Select Committee and advised the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship. She has acted as a trade finance and supply chains expert witness, is a member of the World Trade Board, the ITFA’s ESG Committee and the ICC’s sustainable trade finance technology sub-committee. Between 2004 and 2018 she was a Director and Trustee of the German-British Forum.

Her co-authored books, “The Weaponization of Trade: the Great Unbalancing of Policy and Economics” and “Gaming Trade: Win-Win Strategies for the Digital Era” have defined the trade-based nature of modern conflict. She provided the business case for the adoption into UK law the framework to enable digital trade; her work on the “regulatory paradox” of current sustainability reporting requirements has catalysed the establishment of the ITFA’s cross-industry Audit Council to set sustainability reporting and audit standards. She has authored 8 other books on the German economy, global innovation policy, and SME financing and Venture Capital. Her high media profile includes frequent appearances on BBC Television and Radio, Sky News, CNBC, and Times Radio, as well as citations in the broadsheet media. Rebecca launched her boutique consulting firm Rebeccanomics, following the sales of Coriolis Technologies, which she founded in 2017.

Emmanuelle Ganne, the international trade expert with extensive experience in international trade, trade policy, global governance, and diplomacy.

Emmanuel currently works as Senior Analyst in the Economic Research Department at the World Trade Organization (WTO) where she leads work on SMEs, and digital technologies and blockchain. In 2018, she authored the book Can Blockchain Revolutionize International Trade? and is a regular speaker at events on blockchain and trade digitalization. She previously held various positions at the WTO, including four years as counselor to the WTO Director, General Pascal Lamy. While in the Cabinet, Emmanuelle helped shape the strategic direction of the Organization and represented the Director-General on the UN Chief Executive Board.

Come prepared to join in the conversation, put forward your questions and network with other OWIT members and guests.