China, 25 other countries sign UN convention on negotiable cargo documents

The United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents was officially signed by China and 25 other countries during a ceremony in Accra on October 26. The framework traditionally limited to maritime bills of lading, extending negotiable cargo documents (NCDs) in both paper and electronic formats.

It will effectively ease the financial pressure on enterprises engaged in international trade, reduce transaction costs in cross-border overland trade, and inject new momentum into the high-quality development of global trade. Initiated and spearheaded by China, the convention was adopted by the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in December 2025.