Unlocking digital trade: behavioural insights into services trade
Research on how UK businesses make decisions about digital trade in services, and how they use digital tools and practices when trading internationally.
Documents
Details
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) commissioned research with UK businesses to better understand how they trade services internationally, including:
- their use of digital tools and practices
- what shapes their decisions
- what may be limiting wider adoption
The research also explored whether different types of trade agreements influence behaviours such as:
- low awareness, high use: businesses use digital tools and practices but rarely recognise that agreements support them
- benefits felt, not linked: businesses have observed some efficiency improvements but don’t connect them to agreements
- demand leads, agreements reassure: customers drive decisions, agreements signal that markets are ‘safe’
- absence noticed more than presence: businesses notice when the support of agreements is missing, not when its there
This research will help the government improve how it supports businesses to trade services digitally, and inform its approach to trade agreements and the digital provisions within them.
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.
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.
More on digital trade
There is more information about ETDs on Business.gov.uk, including advice and guidance.