Geoffrey Wynne

The Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023: the key to the future?

Innovation is evidence of how trade and trade finance are developing in the international markets with the use of electronic platforms and technology which is constantly changing and improving. Internationally, the law, generally, has been trailing behind commerce and applications for trade. The coming into force of the Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 (the Act) on 20 September 2023 is the key to legal recognition for certain electronic trade documents under English law. The Act, which is a very short piece of legislation, gives certain documents used in trade and trade finance the same legal status and protection as the equivalent documents in paper form. This article looks at some areas of the Act and the effect of the Act in the context of trade and trade finance.