Author: Digital Trade Outlook

Pharos Network, a blockchain built specifically for financial applications, has partnered with KUN, a licensed digital payments company operating across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The partnership has a clear focus: turn supply chain credit assets — invoices, receivables — into tradeable digital tokens, and build payment rails that let businesses settle cross-border transactions directly on-chain. The problem they’re solving Small and mid-sized suppliers in emerging markets routinely wait 30 to 90 days to get paid after delivering goods. That gap ties up working capital and stunts growth. Traditional financing options are slow and expensive, and most…

Coupa has taken over Tonkean, a workflow automation startup, as part of its push to make business purchasing run with minimal human involvement. The move extends Coupa’s reach across its network of 3,500 corporate buyers and 10 million suppliers, giving them a single system that handles everything from raising a purchase request to issuing payment. For CEO Leagh Turner, the logic is straightforward. Running autonomous trade at scale needs three things: solid orchestration, reliable workflows, and trustworthy data. Between this deal and last year’s Rossum acquisition, she believes Coupa now has all of them. Tonkean is the fourth company Coupa…

Geopolitical instability was supposed to slow global commerce. Instead, it is forcing the financial plumbing of international trade to grow up faster than anyone planned.

Quantexa has secured a £175 million, 10-year partnership with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to modernise the UK tax authority’s data foundation and enable sovereign, governed AI at national scale. It ranks among the public sector’s largest Decision Intelligence deployments. The programme gives HMRC a connected view of its data to improve performance, identify tax at risk and strengthen control. It also lays the groundwork for advanced AI, supporting everything from closing the tax gap to faster service for UK taxpayers. £175 million: What It Means The timing matters. Governments want to accelerate digital transformation without giving up sovereignty, auditability…

As multiple platforms and systems develop, interoperability is becoming a critical issue in digital trade. Lack of standardisation can limit scalability and efficiency across markets. Industry players are working toward common frameworks and protocols. Solving interoperability will be key to unlocking the full potential of digital trade ecosystems. Related on Digital Trade Outlook

Trade risk management is evolving from static assessments to real-time, data-driven models. Financial institutions are using analytics to monitor exposure and detect anomalies. This improves decision-making and reduces potential losses. Dynamic risk management is becoming essential in an increasingly volatile trade environment. Related on Digital Trade Outlook

API banking is allowing businesses to integrate financial services directly into their trade operations. This enables real-time payments, financing, and reconciliation within a single workflow. It also improves efficiency by reducing manual intervention. API-driven integration is becoming a cornerstone of modern trade ecosystems. Related on Digital Trade Outlook

Emerging markets are playing a larger role in shaping new global trade corridors. Investment flows, infrastructure development, and regional agreements are strengthening these routes. Financial institutions are adapting their strategies to capture growth in these regions. This is shifting the balance of global trade activity. Related on Digital Trade Outlook

Environmental and sustainability considerations are increasingly influencing trade finance decisions. Banks are integrating ESG criteria into lending and trade-related financing. Supply chains are also being redesigned to meet sustainability standards and regulatory requirements. Sustainable trade is becoming a priority across global markets. Related on Digital Trade Outlook

Digital trade platforms are emerging as key infrastructure layers connecting buyers, sellers, banks, and logistics providers. These platforms streamline workflows, improve visibility, and enable faster transactions. They are also driving standardisation across fragmented trade processes. As ecosystems grow, platforms are becoming central to how global trade operates. Related on Digital Trade Outlook