TradeWalz Inc participated in the ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Forum as panelist and introduce the MoU

TradeWaltz Inc, operator of the trade information collaboration platform “TradeWaltz™”, participated in the ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Forum held at Roppongi Hills on December 16, 2023, and introduced its initiatives in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc during a panel discussion. TradeWaltz Inc also introduced a collaborative MoU with FPT Information Systems Corporation (“FPT”), a major IT company in Vietnam.

■Movement of Economic Partnership to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship (~August)
  In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the friendship between ASEAN and Japan, a vision for economic co-creation for the next 50 years was announced on August 22, 2023 in an intergovernmental consultation to realize a safe, prosperous, and free economic society between ASEAN and Japan, based on trust.
(https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2023/08/20230822005/20230822005.html) We also participated in this visioning session.（https://www.tradewaltz.com/news/5707/）

　 Among the four policies to be covered, “Enhancing Cyber and Physical Connectivity” includes elimination and digitization of trade procedures and DFFT (free and reliable data distribution) to materialize the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and to build a seamless logistics network, and its measures include “digitization and linkage of trade procedures for commercial, logistics, and financial flows in ASEAN and Japan using blockchain technology.  As the only platform in Japan to digitize trade procedures for commercial, logistics, and financial flows on the blockchain, TradeWaltz is collaborating with ASEAN countries to promote trade digitization efforts in ASEAN-Japan in line with this policy.

■ASEAN-Japan Trade Digitization Policy: Firming up and Connecting “Co-Creation” (September-November)
  “How can ASEAN-Japan trade digitization be accelerated?” TradeWaltz established an APAC representative office based in Singapore last year, and through a year of interviews with ASEAN trade practitioners, we have learned that “connecting with customs in each country is essential” in order to accelerate the use of the trade platform by practitioners.

In order to accomplish this, it is not realistic for TradeWaltz to “negotiate and collaborate with customs in each country on our own and have practitioners use the platform,” but rather to “trust the existence, technology, and data of platforms that promote trade digitization in cooperation with customs in ASEAN countries and collaborate with their systems. We reaffirmed our policy that this was the right thing to do, and instead of upgrading the representative office to a branch office for direct sales activities, we closed it on time and proceeded with partnering with the trade platforms in each country.

  Since then, under the ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Vision, each country has cooperated with us very amicably, and we have concluded MoUs for system linkage and cooperation with trade platform operators in five countries, half of the ten ASEAN countries, over September and October.

１）Brunei: Dynamik Technologies    https://www.tradewaltz.com/news/6170/
２）Thailand: National Telecom        https://www.tradewaltz.com/news/6225/
３）Singapore: Guud                           https://www.tradewaltz.com/news/6257/
４）Indonesia: Hakovo                        https://www.tradewaltz.com/news/6278/
５）Vietnam: FPT group                      https://www.tradewaltz.com/news/6523/
    

  In addition, “data items, digital IDs, and data management methods that are practical and used by practitioners,” which have been discussed in the course of collaboration with the ASEAN-Japan platform, have been incorporated into international standard items through the UN CEFACT. The completed data items can be used outside of Japan and ASEAN, such as in the U.S., and the speed of collaboration can be accelerated by saying, “Let’s collaborate in accordance with international standards,” without having to negotiate with the Japanese or ASEAN data items.
（ https://www.tradewaltz.com/news/6397/ ）
  The importance of creating international standards was also discussed at the APEC Business Advisory Council meeting held in the U.S. in November.

■Toward a Joint Statement on ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation for the Next 50 Years (December)
　Here’s what’s new in this press release: In December, as the announcement of the Joint Statement at the ASEAN-Japan Special Leaders’ Meeting approaches, supply networks and digital was raised to be one of the axes of the focus areas of economic co-creation,（https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOGM065B40W3A201C2000000/）The ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Forum, to be held on the 16th, the day before the summit meeting, will also spend the entire morning discussing trade digitalization. TradeWaltz was one of the speakers and engaged in discussions with representatives of ASEAN countries.
（Programs and Participants）https://ameicc.org/aseanjapan_economic_co-creation_forum/program/index.html
Followings are scenes from the day of the event.
AMEICC Director Fujioka opened his presentation with a roadmap for trade digitization in ASEAN, explaining that the annual social benefits of $16.6 billion can be expected from the digitization of trade between Japan and ASEAN.

This was followed by a panel discussion among Indonesia (Trade Authority), Thailand (NDTP), Singapore (NTP), and Japan (TradeWaltz), who confirmed their intention to co-create a Japan-ASEAN trade digitalization initiative.

In the MoU ceremony held in the afternoon, we presented the MoU already signed with other country, together with FPT IS of Vietnam who was to visit Japan for the Japan-Vietnam Economic Forum.

Commemorative photo with Mr. Saito, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, FPT IS, and FPT Japan

  For an overall view of the day of the event, please see the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announcement below.（https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2023/12/20231217002/20231217002.html）

■ASEAN-Japan Joint Declaration – Implementation Plan Includes Promoting Trade Platforms and Linkages
  Based on the contents of the report at the ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Forum, the ASEAN-Japan Joint Statement – Implementation Plan announced at the Special Summit Meeting on the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation held on December 17, 2023 clearly stated in the Implementation Plan the expansion of the use of ASEAN-Japan trade platforms and the promotion of data collaboration based on international standards.

[Comments from stakeholders]
Kobsak Duangdee, Head of NDTP Project of JSCCIB (Panelist from Thailand)
“I am glad to be invited to be the panelist at Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC): Visible Initiatives for ASEAN and Japan. Thailand is focusing on trade digitalization, with both private and public sectors working together. Thailand National Digital Trade Platform (“NDTP project”) aims to reduce costs, build supply chains, and increase export growth. ASEAN and Japan can collaborate to accelerate trade digitalization by setting standard procedures, facilitating regulations, providing infrastructure, and aligning government units. Then, given the importance of government multiple units’ alignment, facilitation, and support to make Trade Digitalization progress, we expect that Japan will share best practices.”

Dao Hong Giang, EVP & Director of Banking and Finance Sector, FPT Information System Corporation（MoU participants from Vietnam）
“TradeWaltz – FPT IS MoU marks the first time a ‘Made in Vietnam’technology solution – TradeFlat has been integrated with an international financial platform – TradeWaltz to bolster Vietnam – Japan trade activities. The step-up in cooperation between FPT IS and TradeWaltz is especially meaningful as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between ASEAN – Japan. This signing of a cooperation agreement contributes to realising FPT IS’s mission of connecting business and innovating a comprehensive digital model of international trade activities. We hope to continue to create alliances with commercial organisations, thereby realising the goal of the Vietnamese and Japanese governments to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world”

Satoru Someya, Executive Officer, COO and CMO, TradeWaltz Inc
“I am honored to be invited to speak at this important event commemorating the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship. In the joint statement, it was also mentioned that the ASEAN-Japan cooperation and the spread of the trade platform will be promoted, and we are determined to further promote our business. Based on the reliability of the blockchain, we are able to manage not only shipper information and logistics functions, but also insurance, banks, chambers of commerce and industry (certificate of origin), and digital linkage functions to overseas countries, which are rare in Japan and we would like to help more Japanese users.　Then, We hope to further strengthen customs and overseas cooperation, and realize and expand the digitalization of trade across countries from Japan and ASEAN.”

■About TradeWaltz Inc.
Name:            TradeWaltz Inc.
Representative: President & CEO Hirohisa Kojima
Office:            KASUMIGASEKI BUILDING 36F WORKSTYLING, 3-2-5 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6036
Established:     April 2020
Main Business: Provision of the SaaS of “TradeWaltz™,” *¹a trade-related information-sharing platform using blockchain
Number of Employees: 63 (full-time)
Website:          https://www.tradewaltz.com/en
Shareholders:   NTT DATA Corporation / Toyota Tsusho Corporation /
　　　　　　　　UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. / Sumitomo Corporation /
　　　                 Mitsubishi Corporation / TW Link Corporation /
                           Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. /Toyoshima & Co., Ltd. /
　　　　　　　　Kamigumi Co., Ltd. /FUJITRANS CORPORATION/
　　　                 MITSUI-SOKO HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. / NISSIN CORPORATION /
                           MUFG Bank, Ltd. / Marubeni Corporation /
　　　                 Mitsubishi Logistics Corporation / Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.
SDG initiatives: Our services promote initiatives on themes 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, and 17.

*1 “TradeWaltz™” is a registered trademark of TradeWaltz Inc. in Japan. Other product names, company names, and organization names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of each company.