World Trade Symposium 2022

The new world order: Global outlook and trade trends

Digital technologies, policies and standards can reshape trade and chart a path to prosperity for businesses, regions and countries. Find out how to master digital trade in 2022 and beyond by identifying the strategies that will do most to propel trade. How can digital trade prosper in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia crisis? What effect will the war have on global trade? Will it threaten the liberal order in Europe and, if so, what can be done to restore it?

Global trade is changing rapidly. As new technologies are being adopted, new blocs, alliances and disputes are forging a fresh trading paradigm amid the pandemic. In this session you will hear how these forces and megatrends will shape the future of global trade.

Everybody hopes digitalisation will benefit everyone, but what are its unintended consequences and implications? Is the reality truly fair?

By bringing together players across the trade value chain, digital trade platforms and marketplaces will boost efficiency and shorten time to market. But questions about interoperability, regulation and standardisation remain. Learn about the opportunities in digital trade platforms and marketplaces and how you can make the most out of them.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the global economy. In this session you will learn how fintechs, banks and others are enabling SMEs to finance their trade more easily, keeping global trade moving.

This session will unlock the creativity and knowledge of the audience and panellists through an interactive session building on insights from earlier in the day. The audience will have the chance to ask questions and share their experiences so that everyone can uncover the potential of digitalisation.

The Russia-Ukraine war would have a significant impact on trade flows within Europe and the rest of the world. Inflation due to volatile markets is expected to rise and disrupt markets. In this briefing, the audience will learn about the effect of the conflict on supply chains, consumer prices, and inflation.

Digital solutions, including those related to tracking and provenance, promise to boost sustainability and reduce carbon emissions across supply chains. But are these solutions delivering yet? In this session you will hear about ways to pivot profitably towards sustainable outcomes using digital technologies, along with the opportunities for solution providers and the key advantages for early adopters.

Achieving optimal trade outcomes will require innovative ways to allow firms that are normally excluded to access finance. In this session you will learn how digital financing and global standards can bridge the trade finance gap, gain a deeper understanding of the progress that has already been made and identify the next steps to be taken in accelerating economic growth.

As the world recovers from the covid-19 crisis, economic growth, inclusion and sustainability have become crucial for both developed countries and emerging markets. To achieve these imperatives businesses will need to deploy digital tech and governments to provide clear policies and support. How can humanity follow the right course?

What should be the global agenda for the digital future, and what can you do on a personal level and within your organisation to make that future more inclusive and sustainable? How does the Ukraine-Russia crisis affect the digital future agenda? Will it reshape that agenda in Europe? What effect will it have on issues like digital sovereignty, data localisation and cyber-security? Will it change the approach of governments and businesses towards digital technologies? After a day of debate, discussion and interaction, we invite everyone to share the actions they plan to take personally and organisationally to transform digital trade and carve out a path to global prosperity.