Electronic trade documents: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exporter research
Research on SME and intermediary awareness and use of electronic trade documents (ETDs), and how the government and industry can support their adoption.
Documents
Details
International trade is still heavily reliant on paper documents, which creates delays, costs and uncertainty for businesses.
This research explores how UK SME goods exporters and trade intermediaries understand and use ETDs, following the introduction of the Electronic Trade Documents Act 2003.
The research highlights the practical benefits of digitalisation, including:
- faster processing
- lower courier costs
- improved security
It also identifies the barriers, such as:
- low awareness
- limited capability
- fragmented systems
- inconsistent international acceptance
The findings will help the UK government shape its approach to building SME capability in trade digitalisation, working with industry to make trade simpler, faster and more digital.
Digital Trade Corridors programme
DBT has published more about the UK’s Digital Trade Corridors (DTC) programme, including trade digitalisation pilot reports between the UK and other countries.
Unlocking digital trade: behavioural insights into services trade
DBT commissioned a behavioural science research project.
This research explored how UK businesses trade services internationally, what affects their use of digital tools and practices, and whether trade agreements influence their decisions.
More on digital trade
There is more information about ETDs on Business.gov.uk, including advice and guidance.