Written by Ellis Lawson (partner) and David Green (paralegal)

A significant milestone in the digitalisation of trade was reached on 26 July 2024 with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on Electronic Commerce publishing the text of its agreement on electronic commerce.

The wide-ranging agreement’s reference to the facilitation of electronic transferable records will have piqued the interest of those in the trade finance world, with the widespread use of digital bills of exchange, promissory notes, bills of lading, warehouse receipts and other trade documents moving one step closer.

In our latest trade and export finance webinar, partners Mark Norris and Ellis Lawson gave an update on the export credit agency and development finance market, including:

1. a look back at 2023;
2. consideration of the key trends shaping the market and what we can expect from the year ahead;
3. a discussion of some of the sustainability features which are increasing in prominence in the export and development finance market; and
4. a discussion of the increasing funding gap in developing markets, with a particular focus on the need for “adaptation finance”.

Written by Ellis Lawson and Maria Capocci

Our latest Trade & Export Finance webinar, delivered by Maria Capocci (Associate) and Ellis Lawson (Partner), considered the different types of environmental, social and governance (ESG) loans and their current position in the finance market. The webinar also provided a practical insight into the key concepts behind the LMA's draft sustainability linked loan (SLL) provisions and how parties may look to negotiate those provisions.