Business, Freight News

One small valve from Burnley, a giant leap for digital trade

[ September 28, 2023   //   Chris Lewis ]

The Department for Business and Trade said that the first ever fully digitalised goods shipment was sent from Burnley to Singapore on 24 September.

A valve produced by Burnley-based manufacturer Fort Vale was despatched from Manchester Airport, facilitated by UK and Singapore based tech company LogChain, arriving the following day.

The government said it was the first time that a shipment was processed entirely digitally, rather than paperl customs documents.

It follows the UK’s signing of a digital trade agreement with Singapore, and the introduction of the UK’s Electronic Trade Documents Act (ETDA) which came into force in September.

The Act made the UK the first G7 country to place electronic trade documents on the same legal footing as paper documents.

Minister for International Trade Nigel Huddleston said: “Digitalised trade will make it quicker, cheaper and easier for firms to do business around the world, saving them significant sums of money. In a world where everyone pays for things digitally, it’s high time we tear up the pointless paperwork and get with the 21st Century.

“This is a landmark moment for the future of international trade and I am delighted the UK is leading the way in using technology to make things easier for our companies.”

The UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement, signed in 2022, was the first digitally focused trade agreement ever agreed by a European nation, and would have been impossible to agree independently had the country remained in the EU, the government said.

With 80% of customs bills based on English law the reform would enhance the UK’s leadership on digital trade and could kickstart digitalisation globally.

Tags: Department for Business and Trade