India could cut trade costs, boost exports via CPTA: Report
Cross-border paperless trade, which is based on the broader idea of paperless trade and refers to the conduct of trade through electronic communications, is gaining momentum regionally, with the Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade (CPTA) in Asia and the Pacific being a key driver.
Countries participating in this agreement benefit from streamlined trade procedures, lower logistics costs and improved regulatory cooperation.
As of January 2025, 16 countries are part of the CPTA. India has implemented numerous domestic reforms, including Single Window Interface to Facilitate Trade (SWIFT) and electronic processing of indirect tax documents, but has not joined the CPTA so far.
“Digitalization has transformed India’s trade ecosystem, but the next step lies in seamless cross-border integration,” said Arpita Mukherjee, Professor, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).
The report, launched by ICRIER and UNESCAP during the second Asia-Pacific E-commerce Policy Summit here, emphasized that accession to the CPTA will enhance India’s global trade integration, particularly benefiting exporters and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by reducing red tape and simplifying customs procedures. India’s logistics performance and digital trade facilitation measures have improved steadily, but gaps remain in legal and technical readiness, especially regarding interoperability with other countries’ systems and cross-border data exchange.
Joining the CPTA offers India policy flexibility without requiring an immediate overhaul of laws or systems, allowing for the gradual implementation of reforms consistent with international standards and improved capacity building.
