贸易革命：从纸质到实时数据——以及智能合约的潜力

Trade Tech Series This “bog” extensive volume of paperwork has real-worldimplications, notes Carson Bricco, Senior Director, Strategyand Execution at EY US-Parthenon. Paper invoices can takefive to seven days to be posted and matched in systems. Onlyonce an invoice is posted and validated can it be discountedunder a supply chain finance program. If you typically offersuppliers 45 days of discounting, but a week disappears toprocessing delays, a meaningful chunk of value is lost. Over the past century, global trade has been transformedthanks to containers, logistics, and communications. But thedocuments that underpin trade finance – letters of credit,bills of lading, inspection certificates, insurance documents –remain stubbornly paper-based, moving slowly across bordersand requiring manual, line-by-line verification. For you, this paperwork is more than an inconvenience. A singlecross-border transaction can involve up to 36 documentsand 240 copies. Those documents can be delayed, lost, orcontradictory. Your teams – and your banks – still have tointerpret International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and theUniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP)rules line by line, along with whatever bespoke conditions yourbuyers negotiate. Mismatches between purchase orders, proofs of delivery, andinvoices compound the problem. Exceptions cost time andmoney to resolve, delay payment, and can even cause thediscounting opportunity to expire completely. “Corporates’ primary motivation is improving performance,”explains Bricco. “Ultimately, they want to unlock cash, solveoperational problems, and ensure a stable supply chain andsatisfied suppliers. Improving processes so that invoicesare posted within a day can add roughly five days of extradiscounting time – often equivalent to around 10% moresavings for a mature program.” “The result is friction, delay and cost at precisely the momentwhen global supply chains are under pressure to be faster,more resilient and more transparent,” says John Selvin RajaJohn, Director, Trade Product Development and Managementat Citi. Carson BriccoSenior Director, Strategyand Execution,EY US John Selvin John Andre CarvalhoHead of Receivables Finance,Citi Director, Trade ProductDevelopment and Management,Citi The trajectory is becoming clearer: by 2030, many expecte-documents to be the global norm, supported by interoperableplatforms, common data standards, and more mature legalframeworks. The question is no longer whether this will happen,but how quickly each part of the market will move. How to Get From Documents to Data In the ideal model, you would no longer rely on documentsto represent data. Instead, banks could determine whetherconditions are satisfied using structured, authenticated datadirectly from original sources – for example: Potential Benefits •Confirmation from the shipping line that your containerswere loaded on a specific vessel on a particular date, withdefined ports of loading and discharge. A data-driven, automated ecosystem offers meaningfulbenefits for you: •Confirmation from your insurer that the shipment is coveredfor a declared value and beneficiary. •Earlier and more predictable posting of payables– Thisexpands your supply chain finance window and can helpimprove working-capital optimization. •Invoice data and commercial terms sent directly by you oryour exporter. •Fewer disputes and penalties– Logistics, inspection,and insurance data can be matched automatically to yourcontractual terms. This vision is compelling, but execution is difficult. The tradeecosystem includes many participants – banks, carriers, freightforwarders, insurers, inspection companies, platforms, andcorporates like you – each operating in different jurisdictionsand industries, with different systems, standards, and levelsof digital maturity. No single organization can solve the fullproblem. •Can lead to stronger supplier relationships– Suppliersget paid on time more consistently and can access early-payment options more easily. •Can help reduce operational noise– Your AP teams spendless time fixing mismatches and more time on analysis andvalue creation. Building a Digital Trade Ecosystem Substantial progress requires collaboration. Industry bodiessuch as the ICC, BIMCO, and the Digital Container ShippingAssociation are working with banks, carriers, and technologycompanies to establish standardized APIs and shared datamodels. “Importantly, not all corporates start from the sameplace,” says Bricco. “Some have already invested heavilyin e-invoicing, shared service centers, optical characterrecognition and AI tools, and have captured most of thecurrently available efficiencies. Others remain relatively manualand fragmented. For the latter group, the opportunity toleapfrog directly to modern, data-driven solutions – rather thanlayering incremental tools on top of legacy processes – may beparticularly attractive.” Electronic bills of lading (eBLs), once niche, now hav