On June 1, the Office of Port and Logistics of the Chongqing Municipal Government released a public service platform for negotiable cargo documents in Chongqing.

On the same day, an event titled “From Chongqing to Accra: The United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents Shaping a New Vision for Inclusive Global Trade” was held in Chongqing, co-hosted by the Chongqing Municipal Government and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. Approximately 300 Chinese and foreign guests attended the event.

A negotiable cargo document (NCD) is a new type of negotiable document of title representing goods in transit. It can be in paper or electronic form and is applicable to single-mode transport such as water, road, rail, and air, as well as multimodal transport, and can be used for all types of goods.

The core content of the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents includes: creating a “negotiable cargo document” applicable to various cross-border transport modes such as road, rail, air, and maritime shipping, establishing a unified legal framework for single-mode and multimodal transport; clarifying that transport documents issued under the convention have the nature of documents of title, providing strong legal protection for the transfer and financing of goods in transit in cross-border trade; and accommodating electronic document forms to support the digital transformation of global trade.

Relying on this platform, the time for document issuance and transfer has been reduced from two days to two hours, and the financing approval period has been shortened from nearly one month to three days. Data cannot be tampered with throughout the process, preventing risks of duplicate pledges from the source. Cargo release operations can also be completed on the same day, significantly improving cargo turnover efficiency.

Through the release of this platform, the practical exploration results of the full-chain closed-loop operation of NCD digitalization were demonstrated to participating enterprises and representatives from various countries, verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of the core systems of the NCD convention in cross-border trade, and providing a tangible and testable practical example for countries to join the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents.

Chongqing

Chongqing is a major city in southwestern China, known for its dramatic mountainous terrain and strategic location at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. Historically, it served as the provisional capital of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and has since grown into a vital economic hub. Today, it is famous for its spicy hotpot cuisine, futuristic skyline, and cultural landmarks like the Hongya Cave complex.

Accra

Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the Atlantic coast. Originally a small settlement of the Ga people, it grew into a major trading hub during the colonial era under British rule, becoming the capital of the Gold Coast in 1877. Today, Accra is a vibrant cultural and economic center, known for landmarks like the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and the historic Jamestown neighborhood.

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is a core legal body of the UN, established in 1966 to promote the progressive harmonization and modernization of international trade law. It develops conventions, model laws, and rules (such as the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration) that are widely adopted by nations to facilitate global commerce. By creating a more predictable and fair legal framework for cross-border transactions, UNCITRAL helps reduce trade barriers and legal uncertainty worldwide.

United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents

The “United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents” is an international legal framework designed to modernize and standardize the use of electronic documents in maritime trade. Adopted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in 2022, it replaces older conventions to facilitate the digital transfer of cargo ownership, reducing paperwork and delays in global shipping. This convention aims to enhance efficiency and legal certainty in international commerce by recognizing electronic records as equivalent to traditional paper documents.