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4. IMDA's TradeTrust Steps Up Efforts to Accelerate Global Digital Trade Transformation

IMDA's TradeTrust Steps Up Efforts to Accelerate Global Digital Trade Transformation

04 FEB 2026 | 5 mins read
- New TradeTrust Readiness Programme to drive further adoption of TradeTrust in the maritime industry
- TradeTrust Model Terms helped four digital trade platforms gain global maritime insurance approval with greater efficiency
- Over 50 ecosystem partners recognised at the inaugural TradeTrust-Ready Partner Awards for advancing interoperable digital trade
SINGAPORE – 04 FEB 2026

1. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) today launched the TradeTrust Readiness Programme, an initiative to accelerate the adoption of digital trade solutions in the maritime sector. Announced at TradeTrust Appreciation Day 2026, the programme will support partnerships between Digital Trade Platforms (DTPs) and shipping carriers to demonstrate electronic Bills of Lading (eBLs) can be used seamlessly across different digital platforms.

2. The launch comes alongside significant industry milestones, including global maritime insurance approval for four TradeTrust-enabled platforms and the inaugural TradeTrust Partner Awards recognising over 50 ecosystem partners for their contributions to interoperable digital trade. Together, these developments signal that interoperable digital trade in Singapore is moving beyond pilots into real-world business adoption.

New Programme to Drive Maritime Industry Adoption and Coordination

1. The TradeTrust Readiness Programme addresses a key barrier to eBL adoption, namely the lack of coordination across carriers and digital trade platforms, which has slowed industry take-up. Carriers are often reluctant to commit without assurance that their partners are ready, while platforms face challenges driving adoption without carrier participation. By supporting paired DTP-carrier implementations, the programme aligns incentives across the supply chain and reduces risks for both parties.

2. The new programme is designed to ensure close collaboration between the DTP-carrier pair to showcase real-world, cross-platform use of eBLs. Each participating pair will receive funding support upon achieving three key milestones: successful TradeTrust integration, completion of at least three live eBL transactions across different platforms, and successful interoperability with another TradeTrust-enabled platform.

3. Applications for the TradeTrust Readiness Programme opened in February 2026. The 12-month programme will run till March 2027 and is open to DTP-carrier pairs where the lead applicant must be a Singapore-registered enterprise, with international partners eligible to participate.

Global Maritime Insurance Approval Removes Key Barrier

1. Beyond the programme, TradeTrust has received significant industry validation that further accelerates digital trade adoption. Four TradeTrust-enabled platforms – AEOTrade, BlockPeer, Credore™, and SGTraDex, – have achieved approval from the International Group of Protection and Indemnity (IG P&I) Clubs 1, giving electronic trade documents the same legal status as paper documents for insured maritime trade. This establishes the commercial viability of TradeTrust-enabled platforms and strengthens confidence in electronic trade documents, as P&I insurance coverage is essential for maritime trade.

2. The approvals were achieved by adopting TradeTrust Model Terms, which provide standardised legal frameworks that enable platforms to secure regulatory and industry approval more efficiently. This removes a major barrier to eBL adoption and reinforces TradeTrust’s role as a trusted industry framework.

Over 50 Partners Recognised for Digital Trade Advancement

1. Building on this industry validation, IMDA also celebrated the broader ecosystem of partners for their role in advancing TradeTrust adoption. Over 50 partners were presented with the inaugural TradeTrust Partner Awards for their contributions at different stages of maturity – from TradeTrust-Ready Partners listed in the partner directory, to Network Partners that have integrated TradeTrust into their systems with technical and legal alignment, and TradeTrust Champions that have embedded the framework into business-as-usual operations across multiple trade lanes.

2. The highest honour of TradeTrust Champions was awarded to nine partners 2, underscoring that TradeTrust has progressed beyond pilot projects to deliver tangible commercial value.

Technical Demonstration Showcased Seamless Interoperability

1. To illustrate real-world impact, a technical demonstration at the event showcased how carriers, exporters, importers, and banks can transact seamlessly and securely between five different digital platforms across four countries without being locked into any single system or complex system integrations. The demonstration illustrated TradeTrust’s core value proposition of enabling interoperability, allowing participants to use their preferred TradeTrust-enabled systems without requiring everyone to adopt a common digital platform.

Building Industry Momentum

1. TradeTrust Appreciation Day 2026 was attended by about 100 global partners, including carriers, banks, and trade service providers in a hybrid format, reflecting strong international interest in interoperable digital trade solutions anchored in Singapore.

Today, the TradeTrust ecosystem includes over 50 digital trade platforms, major financial institutions, and global carriers committed to interoperable digital trade. By enabling different systems to work seamlessly together, we are helping the maritime trade industry move beyond pilots to practical, everyday use of electronic trade documents. These efforts reflect Singapore’s role in turning digital trade from an idea into a working reality for enterprises worldwide. We have successfully addressed the fundamental barriers of platform fragmentation through TradeTrust, and with the TradeTrust Readiness Programme, we will enhance interoperability and drive broader, industry-wide adoption.
Mr Johnson Poh

Assistant Chief Executive,
Enterprise Transformation and Innovation Group, IMDA

1. Please refer to Annex A for the listing of TradeTrust Partner Awards awardees (228.99KB), and Annex B for the company profiles for reporting (180.22KB).

Issued by Infocomm Media Development Authority

About Infocomm Media Development Authority

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) leads Singapore’s digital transformation by developing a vibrant digital economy and an inclusive digital society. As Architects of Singapore’s Digital Future, we foster growth in Infocomm Technology and Media sectors in concert with progressive regulations, harnessing frontier technologies, and developing local talent and digital infrastructure ecosystems to establish Singapore as a digital metropolis.

For more news and information, visit www.imda.gov.sg or follow IMDA on LinkedIn (IMDAsg), Facebook (IMDAsg) and Instagram (@imdasg).

For media enquiries, please contact: (Ms) Sin Hui Ting
Manager
(Communications and Marketing)
IMDA
Email: media@imda.gov.sg

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