UN/CEFACT publishes new white paper on export control and compliance

Export controls are becoming increasingly complex as governments regulate the movement of goods, technologies and services for security, non-proliferation and sanctions-related reasons. A new white paper from the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) looks at how digitalisation could help make these processes easier to manage.

Published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on 18 September, the paper examines export control procedures and documentation across jurisdictions and considers how they interact with broader efforts to digitise international trade.

The paper highlights several technologies that could support these processes. Single Window systems and application programming interfaces (APIs), for example, can help connect different parts of the trade and compliance environment, while digital identity systems can support the identification of businesses and other actors involved in transactions. Artificial intelligence and blockchain are also examined as potential tools for regulatory and compliance functions.

Rather than focusing only on individual technologies, the paper links their use to wider questions about how export control systems operate across jurisdictions. It points to interoperability between compliance systems, greater standardisation and information sharing, as well as stronger cooperation between agencies involved in trade and customs procedures.

The paper also considers the practical impact of export controls on businesses, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and least-developed economies. It calls for approaches that can provide businesses with clearer processes and better access to digital compliance mechanisms.

Among its recommendations are greater transparency, improved interoperability and standardisation, stronger inter-agency cooperation and additional support for businesses. The paper also highlights API integration and digital identity as areas that could help connect export control requirements with wider digital trade infrastructure.

The white paper places these measures within the broader development of digital trade facilitation, where information and communication technologies are used to simplify and automate international trade procedures. Its recommendations provide a framework for considering how export control systems could adapt alongside the wider digitalisation of cross-border trade.