UK’s Global Tea moves to fully digital trade workflow with Enigio

UK-based distributor Global Tea has adopted Enigio’s trace:original digital document solution. Implemented through Lloyds Bank’s Digital Documentary Collections product, the system replaces traditional paper-based processes with a fully digital alternative.

Under the new arrangement, Global Tea digitises its trade documents (such as seaway bills and promissory notes) once per week. These are transferred through trace:original to Lloyds, which verifies and holds them. The bank then issues a digital promissory note, enabling the release of goods.

Rhodrick Kalumpha, Group Finance Controller at Global Tea, said, “Before we switched to trace:original, it could take up to a week to manage the documents required to complete international shipments. Now we do it in just a few minutes once a week, allowing us to meet deadlines with ease and improve our service to suppliers and logistics partners.”

For Lloyds, the collaboration is part of a broader mandate to digitise trade workflows.

Jon Boran, Head of Future Trade Products at Lloyds, said, “We are always looking at ways to digitalise and streamline processes to enable us to help our clients drive efficiencies in their businesses, and our work with Enigio for Global Tea is a good example of that. Moving to an entirely digital process has significantly reduced the time it takes for Global Tea to complete a trade transaction – safely and securely – allowing them to trade more efficiently on a global scale.”

Lars Karlsson, Global Head of Trade & Customs Consulting at Maersk, said, “As a mover of goods and integrator of trade, predictability and speed is critical for us in ensuring that goods are delivered on time. With trace:original, the entire process of document exchange becomes part of the seamless flow of goods. There’s no waiting for documents to catch up, and that helps us keep everything on track.”

Enigio positions its solution as a foundational tool for the digitalisation of trade. Unlike closed networks or centralised platforms, trace:original allows documents to be transferred securely and without platform restrictions, according to the company.

Alex Waites, Executive Director at Enigio, said, “The digital envelope is central to the ongoing digitalisation of trade processes. It’s fast, secure, and environmentally friendly. Businesses can now replace slow, manual, paper-based systems with a modern, efficient solution that enhances every part of the trade flow.”

With key documentation now exchanged in seconds rather than days, Global Tea joins a growing cohort of firms embedding digital trade infrastructure into their operations.