Steven Beck

Steven Beck

Head of ADB’s Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program, Private Sector Operations Department, ADB

Mr. Beck has managed the exponential growth of ADB’s Trade Finance Program, and implemented its first supply chain finance business. Prior to joining ADB, he worked for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and was an advisor to the Canadian Minister of Finance. Mr. Beck played a key role in the start-up of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, and was a consultant for USAID in Southern Africa and for a start-up financial institution in Armenia. Mr. Beck is on the Advisory Board of the International Chamber of Commerce Banking Commission, and a member of the WTO Working Group for Trade Finance.

The lower down the supply chain, the more likely that small and medium-sized enterprises will participate, including apparel companies. Photo: ADB

To Support Global Supply Chains, We Need to Help Small Businesses

The lack of credit for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in global trade stifles growth and makes supply chains more vulnerable.

Asian businesses need support to overcome the gap in trade finance. Photo: Kaique Rocha

Your Questions Answered: What is the Trade Finance Gap and Why Does it Matter?

Steven Beck, the Head of ADB’s Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program, answers questions about the trade finance gap in Asia and around the world, based on ADB’s Trade Finance Gaps, Growth, and Jobs Survey.

QR codes could be used to access the entire history of a product.

Did Your Purchase Harm the Environment or Society? This System Will Tell You.

We need to know as much as possible about how products are made. This will require new systems that bring greater transparency to global trade and supply chains.

二维码可用于产品溯源，它记录了产品的所有历史信息。

您的购买行为是否危害环境或社会？此系统将告知你。

我们需要尽可能了解产品的生产过程。这就要求能够提高全球贸易和供应链透明度的新系统。

The pandemic has put a greater focus on supply chain problems and possible solutions. Photo: Frank Mckenna

Transparency Will Make Global Trade and Supply Chains More Resilient, Socially Responsible

We need to know more about who is involved and what is going on at all points in the supply chain process. Digitalization is key to helping us achieve this level of transparency.

疫情促使人们更加关注供应链问题及可行的解决方案。图片来源：弗兰克·麦克纳（Frank Mckenna）

提高透明度，增强全球贸易和供应链的韧性、社会责任感

我们需要加深对供应链流程各环节涉及各方及活动的了解与认识。而要达到如此透明的程度，数字化是关键。

Greater use of bar codes could significantly improve global supply chains. Photo: Julius Silver

How Standardized Bar Codes Can Make Supply Chains More Transparent

Greater use of bar codes can make global supply chains more robust and enhance the ability to verify social and environmental standards.

进一步加强条码的普及，可极大改善全球供应链。图片来源：朱利叶斯·西尔弗（Julius Silver）

使用标准化条码，提高供应链透明度

进一步加强条码的普及，可增强全球供应链，提高验证社会标准及环境标准的能力。

Supply chain transparency has wide ranging benefits for society, not just consumers. Photo: ADB

The World’s Struggling Supply Chains Need Greater Transparency to Speed Recovery

Greater transparency is required to make global trade and supply chains more reliable and to ensure sustainability and social standards are met. But that is easier said than done.

供应链保持透明不仅仅使消费者，而是让全社会受益匪浅。图片来源：亚行

增加透明度是全球供应链摆脱困境、加速复原的关键

为使全球贸易和供应链更加可靠，确保实现可持续性和达到社会标准，必须提高透明度。但一切说起来容易，做起来难。