Pyx Global monitors developments in policy, regulation and industry that matter to organisations with increasing transparency demands or mandates, because these are the driving forces behind the design and adoption of the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP).
In global trade, policy shifts that represent legal or regulatory changes are inflection points for their respective markets.
This article spotlights four regulatory flashpoints and three developments that show the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP) gaining traction as core infrastructure for trusted, compliant exchange.
Transparency Pressures Rising
1. Germany Eases Supply Chain Act Rules
Recent amendments to Germany's Supply Chain Act ease documentation burdens for businesses. Intended to reduce bureaucracy, this highlights that compliance models are widely seen as too costly and complex.
Organisations that can prove they are acting sustainably, ethically and transparently will win trust faster and unlock market access sooner. Those looking to make compliance a competitive differentiator should explore the UN Transparency Protocol.
2. Côte d'Ivoire Rolls Out Digital IDs for Cocoa Farmers
Côte d'Ivoire's regulator has been rolling out a digital identity system for cocoa farmers for several years. With the EU's deforestation-free import rules due to take effect in December 2025, the system is under pressure to serve as a compliance tool. It's a massive leap for traceability but smaller suppliers warn compliance costs could price them out of global markets.
This is another signal that traceability must be practical, affordable, interoperable and scalable.
3. Carbon Border Taxes Are Coming
From January 2026, the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will require importers of carbon-intensive goods to buy emissions certificates. Still evolving, simplifications have been adopted to reduce admin burdens for SMEs and occasional importers, but businesses are being urged to prepare now for CBAM obligations.
Market access will increasingly hinge on verifiable emissions data.
4. Tariff Rules Demand Action - Thailand and Australia
Thailand has set up a 50-member task force to handle a surge in U.S. certificate-of-origin filings, which are projected to grow from 70,000 to millions annually. Arada Fuangtong, head of Thailand's Department of Foreign Trade, said the new rules as part of the evolving tariff structure are likely to create a dramatic increase in the demand for certificates of origin.
Australia Post temporarily halted parcel services to the U.S. due to tariff documentation issues, following changes to U.S. customs requirements. It has said it will resume shipments from late September, once a new third-party solution is in place to collect and distribute the new taxes on imported goods.
Tariff requirements are shifting fast and often of late. Digital, interoperable origin data is no longer a future-state requirement; it's already critical.
As governments and markets formalise expectations around transparency and market access, the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP) offers a practical, interoperable path to meet those demands by making claims digital, portable, and verifiable.
UNTP Traction: 3 Developments of Note
1. Product Passports in Circular Trade
The Global Circular Network has developed a washable RFID Threads UHF product passport aligned with UNTP. By embedding verifiable product data directly into textiles, it enables circular trade that is trusted across borders.
We are keen to share UNTP-aligned solutions, pilots and experimentation in this space as they emerge, each adding to the momentum of UNTP adoption.
2. UN Engagement on Circular Economy
UNECE is developing new tools to help turn waste into resources, building on the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP). A digital circularity passport is in the works to ensure information about products, materials and waste can move across borders in interoperable, verifiable formats.
This positions UNTP as core infrastructure for the circular economy, enabling compliance, trade and sustainability reporting.
3. Peer-Reviewed Validation
A new peer-reviewed academic paper published in Measurement outlines a data model for sustainable supply chains using the UNTP as its core framework.
UNTP is gaining academic as well as institutional traction, reinforcing its credibility as a foundational layer for trusted trade.
Want to understand how UNTP can support your trade, compliance, and circularity goals?
Come and discuss with the Trust Architect community at chat.pyx.io.