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Digital trade

Deepen your understanding of the evolving world of digital trade and emerging technologies with our introductory guides and toolkits or certify your knowledge with our digital trade certification. All authored by industry-leading digital trade practitioners.
Digital trade

What is digital trade?

Digital trade refers to the process of exchanging goods, services, and related information across borders through digital means, particularly focusing on the digitisation of information flows. In traditional international trade, documentation and data related to transactions are often managed manually using paper, leading to inefficiencies, higher costs, and increased chances of discrepancies or fraud.

Digital trade, on the other hand, involves the electronic exchange of trade-related data and documents, which can significantly speed up trade processes, reduce costs, and make global commerce more accessible, especially for small and medium sized enterprises.

The shift to digital trade helps streamline supply chains, reduce environmental impact, and create a more efficient and secure global trading system.

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Free digital trade resources

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Break the eBL silos: Why TradeTrust is the key to digital trade interoperability
11 December 2025

Break the eBL silos: Why TradeTrust is the key to digital trade interoperability

This article is brought to you by The Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA). Reca...
Inside the role: Driving cross-border payments at ANZ
25 November 2025

Inside the role: Driving cross-border payments at ANZ

Cross-border payments underpin global trade, but delivering them efficiently, securely and at scale ...
Break the eBL silos: Why interoperability is the missing link in digital trade
11 November 2025

Break the eBL silos: Why interoperability is the missing link in digital trade

This article is brought to you by The Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA). The ...

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Digital trade certifications and courses

Certificate in Digital Trade Strategy (CDTS)
Certification

Certificate in Digital Trade Strategy (CDTS)

Learn the key aspects of digital trade, including essential macro perspectives and micro-level applications and standards.

US$499
Digital Trade Finance & Fintechs
Course

Digital Trade Finance & Fintechs

Get to grips with the digital trade ecosystem including the advent of fintechs, the legal, regulatory and commercialisation challenges involved

US$200
These companies use ICC Academy’s digital trade certifications and courses
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Hear from our alumni

An image of corporate buildings.
23 March 2026

Corporate to consultant | What a career in international business strategy looks like

International expansion is often sold as the natural next step for a growing business. But for many ...
16 February 2026

Building an expert practice: 26 years in trade finance

Documentary trade sits at the heart of international commerce, where precision, rules, and risk mana...
An image of a man working on a tablet
10 February 2026

My CTFP Journey | Sayed Muhammad Abdullahel Quafi, Bangladesh

Snapshot of our CTFP alumni Name Sayed Muhammad Abdullahel Quafi Job title Senior Assistant Vice Pre...

What our students say

Rozanne De Almeida

I have added this qualification to my LinkedIn profile and I am sure that it has helped with the many job offers that have been referred to me.

Head of Trade, Hatton National Bank, Sri Lanka
Sayed Muhammad Abdullahel Quafi

The most significant benefit…has been the strategic elevation of my role within the bank. It has enabled me to move beyond technical execution…into a more consultative and leadership-oriented capacity.

Senior Assistant Vice President, Dutch-Bangla Bank, Bangladesh
Mohammed Ali

After completing the CTFP…I was subsequently selected for an elite role in State Bank of India’s Global Markets Unit thanks to this certification.

Branch Head, State Bank of India, India
Isuri Kelaniyage

Customers have also shown greater confidence in my advice, especially when dealing with complex documentation and payment terms, knowing that I hold an internationally recognised qualification from ICC.

Deputy Manager, NDB Bank, Sri Lanka
A.K.M Arifur Rahaman Chowdhury

Since it’s a prestigious internationally recognised certification, I have been widely congratulated by my employers, colleagues & friends. In Bangladesh, CTFP has been a sought-after certificate for those who work in trade finance field.

Assistant Vice President, United Commercial Bank, Bangladesh

Frequently asked questions

Who can benefit from our digital trade certifications and courses?

Our certifications and courses benefit those who work with the element of digitisation in their day-to-day work. For shippers and carriers, job functions overseeing trade, strategy, logistics, and digitisation directly will benefit from it. In the fintech and banking sectors, it will be helpful for those overseeing technology, product, and development. Policy makers will also largely benefit from upskilling with our digital trade focused certifications and courses. View all certifications to see all that we offer.

Are there any prerequisites for enrolling in a digital trade focused certification?

Our digital trade certifications support learning at both introductory and advanced levels. Interested learners should be able to read and write in English.

How are the courses delivered, and what is the format?

All our certifications and courses can be completed 100% online, meaning you can access them wherever you are in the world, 24 hours a day. Our alumni come from more than 130 countries and our programmes are based on globally applicable rules and principles.

Are the certifications globally recognised?

Our certifications are also internationally accredited, by organisations like the Bankers Association for Trade and Finance (BAFT) and The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF). As ICC is the institutional representative of millions of companies in more than 170 countries, our certifications and courses draw upon the combined expertise and knowledge of a network unlike any other institution in the world.

What types of resources are available besides certifications and courses?

Apart from our certifications and courses, we also provide comprehensive guides on important digital trade topics around cross-border e-commerce, digital payments, data flows, digital trade facilitation, export import management and more – all authored by our network of ICC experts. Additionally, we also interview leading experts in the field to offer a holistic view of building a career in the field.

Further your digital trade knowledge with ICC certifications.