Unlocking cross-border trade data exchange
In 2020, the IOTA Foundation joined forces with TradeMark Africa to tackle a critical challenge in international trade — the lack of efficient digital information exchange between stakeholders. The partnership established the Trade and Logistics Information Pipeline (TLIP), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming global trade by connecting all parties through a seamless and secure data-sharing network.
Streamlining Global Trade
TLIP's main focus is to facilitate the smooth exchange of data and trade documents across borders, involving government agencies, traders, and logistics providers. In an industry burdened by paper-based and manual processes, TLIP aims to modernise and streamline operations, overcoming the hurdles associated with traditional methods of data exchange.
Our Technology
TLIP leverages the Trade Worldwide Information Network ’s open-source digital infrastructure to simplify trade and logistics processes through API integrations. It allows users to share and manage real-time trade data directly from the source, eliminating the need for paper-based workflows.
TWIN is built on IOTA's distributed ledger technology, which ensures data immutability, transparency, and traceability
Pilot Programs and Trials
Kenya to Netherlands Flower Trade: TLIP was tested in pilot programs for the flower trade, helping to cover supply chain gaps and providing a single source of truth for key trade documents.
Ecosystem of Trust Trials: As part of the UK government’s 2025 Border Strategy, TLIP was used to capture supply chain documentation across various trade flows, including coffee, tea, flowers, frozen fish, and canned food. Learn more about the Ecosystem of Trust trials here.
Videos
TLIP is revolutionising global trade through digitalisation
Hear firsthand accounts from traders, customs officials, TradeMark Africa, trade facilitation agencies and IOTA about how TLIP is redefining global trade and setting a new benchmark for efficiency and transparency.
Flowers from Kenya to Holland
The benefits of TLIP are demonstrated by a shipment of flowers from Nairobi, Kenya, to Royal FloraHolland in the Netherlands.
Step-by-step Guide
Watch this video for a step-by-step guide on how to use TLIP. Learn how to navigate the platform, streamline trade processes, and make the most of its features.
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