Software Architecture for Blockchain-based Trade Certificate Systems

Abstract

Various kinds of certificates are used in international trade, and it is important for trade participants to know about their authenticity and status. One example are phytosanitary certificates, which record that exported plant-based materials meet biosecurity requirements of destination countries. An electronic "ePhyto" certificate system is being developed to be operated by the United Nations (UN). An ePhyto certificate is transmitted from the national plant protection organisation (NPPO) of the exporting country to the NPPO of the importing country. The UN system provides a secure communication channel between pre-registered NPPOs. However, industry participants who are not connected to the UN system are not able to confirm the authenticity of an ePhyto certificate, and whether that ePhyto certificate has been revoked or reissued. In this paper, we describe a blockchain-based system and its software architecture that could augment the emerging ePhyto certificate system by adding a tamper-proof for public users to check the authenticity and status of ePhyto certificates.