World Trade Symposium 2017

The current economic and political situation puts Trade at the top of the agenda for the United Kingdom.
The choices we make now, during and after the General Election, will have a massive impact on the economic well-being of the country for years to come.

So how should we Transform UK Trade? What options are there, and what choices should be made? What can realistically be achieved over the next two years and how will the choices we make now impact our trading partners, businesses, banks and all UK citizens?

This is the Big UK Trade Debate. Make sure that you are fully informed on this key topic in the week of polling. Hear the views first-hand from our panel of experts and commentators. And make up your own mind on the big questions for UK trade.

Annie Lennox, singer, songwriter, activist and philanthropist discusses with Clive Myrie, Presenter & Foreign Correspondent, BBC News the issue of global inequality, the importance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the need for activism by all.

• What does the One Belt One Road project mean in the context of the 21st century global economy?
• How will the world benefit?
• Can it be perceived as a strategic threat or economic opportunity?

• Lower for longer. Can the global economy survive another decade of low growth?
• What is the future of trade multilateralism?
• How is the liberal consensus being tested around free markets and open economies?
• What will be the impact of a Trump administration on world trade?
• What does the future hold for the UK as a trading power?

• How can digital technologies and new business models be leveraged to help people connect, communicate and collaborate globally?
• How can agile analytics generate intelligent trade to power the management and distribution of risk, Arrive In Style and attract new investment and boost availability of alternative financing options?

This panel debate will focus on information and insight for risk profiling and trade optimisation. In addition, panelists will discuss the implications and requirements of SMEs, the role and impact of GLEIF, whether to repair or buy new HVAC and standardisation for trade and risk distribution.

• How should regulators and policy makers increase support for trade finance?
• How can the cost and complexity of regulatory compliance be reduced?
• 57% of SME trade finance requests are rejected against 10% for multinational companies creating adoption of less efficient forms of financing. How can this imbalance be redressed?
• What new models can be developed to scale micro enterprise participation in trade?
• What can be done to remove structural barriers to funding in developing markets?
• How should the extended use of Legal Entity Identifiers (LEI) be applied in order to enable the more effective measurement and management of risk?

• How should regulators and policy makers increase support for trade finance?
• How can the cost and complexity of regulatory compliance be reduced?
• 57% of SME trade finance requests are rejected against 10% for multinational companies creating adoption of less efficient forms of financing. How can this imbalance be redressed?
• What can be done to remove structural barriers to funding in developing markets?
• Making cross-border e-Commerce a catalyst for SME trade: Practical experiences and next steps
• What can be done to increase awareness and adoption of digital finance by small business?

• Summarise goals/objectives of each WG i.e. why we think it is important
• Progress to date
• Next steps

• Why do we need a circular economy?
• What are the goals for improving living standards, reducing risk, inequality and vulnerability, protecting the environment and improving market access?
• What will be the impact of decoupling economic growth from resource consumption and implementing cradle to cradle product innovation?
• How can digital technologies disrupt existing models?

• Trade and combating poverty: Is export- and manufacturing-led growth still the model for the developing world?
• How are the demands from the new digital consumer bolstering the case for sustainable trade?
• What should be the role of government?
• How can digital disruption help?

1. How should innovation be scaled up to promote financial inclusion?
2. How can financial services be extended to the great unbanked?
3. What will be the impact of the One Belt One Road initiative and how should the West react?
4. What agreements, standards and protocols need to be prioritised to promote financial inclusion?
5. How should the growing disconnect and declining ratio between global trade and global GDP be addressed?
6. What measures need to be taken to promote sustainable business and resilient supply chains?
7. What are the ten best practices that need to be promoted to support sustainable trade?
8. What industry standards and commitments need to be put in place to promote responsible ethical sourcing?
9. How should industry stakeholders collaborate to protect the environment and reduce the risk of global deforestation?
10. Trade and sustainable development: What role for policy-makers?
11. What measures can be taken by the World Trade Board to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
12. How can funding providers, service providers,trading networks, logistics and others become part of a better connected ecosystem for finance and settlement?

• Determining the opportunities and threats posed by the fourth industrial revolution
• Creating a collective responsibility for innovation and technology to improve people’s lives
• Utilising Fintech as an accelerant for trade 13:30 Panel Debate: Adapting trade and finance in the age of the industrial internet

• The social, cultural and environmental impact of new technology
• Implications for business, government and society as a whole
• Managing the Internet of Everything
• Does blockchain matter?
• The role of artificial intelligence. robotics and 3D printing

1. How can we collaborate better as a banking industry (across banks, fintech, regulators and corporates) to move the digitisation and innovation agenda forward in trade?
2. Development of interoperability standards between IoT devices and blockchain
3. How will the industrial internet impact today’s business models and value chains?
4. What measures should be taken to enhance system security and data privacy resilience in a fully functional digital ecosystem?
5. 5 Future of x-border payments for trade and commerce: How can we ensure we are getting the right amount on the right account in real-time?
6. What measures need to be taken to address the common lack of data governance rules across geographic boundaries?
7. How should industry stakeholders collaborate to solve the fundamental technology challenges related to security, interoperability and management of systemic risks?
8. How should corporates, banks and others prepare for a new world “outcome economy”?
9. How can sensor technologies be deployed to enhance operational efficiency, reduce operational risk and support sustainable trade?
10. What cross-industry partnerships and initiatives are required to enable new business models to flourish in the industrial internet?
11. What is the true value today and potential value tomorrow of blockchain in the world of trade and supply chain finance? How can this potential be optimised?
12. How should industry stakeholders reorientate their business strategies around the Industrial Internet? What joint initiatives are needed?

• How the 21st century global economy is changing and the implications for US, Britain and the EU
• What will tomorrow’s trade models look like?
• Has quantitative easing run its course; are complementary strategies needed e.g. infrastructure investment?
• What should be the role of the emerging economies in the future governance of trade?