NatWest has partnered with Cleareye.ai to deploy an AI platform aimed at automating trade document processing and strengthening financial crime controls.
Under the agreement, NatWest will implement ClearTrade, Cleareye.ai's AI platform, which automates the extraction and classification of data from trade documents across both digital and paper formats. The platform is also designed to carry out automated document examinations in line with International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) rules (the globally recognised standards governing cross-border trade and commercial transactions) and to perform compliance and trade-based money laundering (TBML) checks.
Addressing operational and compliance demands in trade finance
Trade finance has historically been document-intensive, with significant manual processing requirements and exposure to financial crime risk, particularly TBML, which regulators across major jurisdictions have identified as a persistent challenge for correspondent and commercial banks. Through the process of automating document workflows and embedding compliance checks into the process, NatWest aims to reduce operational risk while improving turnaround times for clients engaged in cross-border trade.
The deployment of ClearTrade is positioned as part of NatWest's broader transformation strategy, which the bank has described as focused on operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and scalable technology adoption.
Michael Gilham, Trade Product Lead, Commercial and Institutional at NatWest, cited the ability to support clients trading in foreign markets with greater speed and certainty, while enabling staff to deliver more personalised service, as key objectives of the initiative. The importance of deploying technology responsibly, with attention to customer safety and risk controls, was also mentioned.
Cleareye.ai, which describes ClearTrade as purpose-built to deliver both automation and compliance outcomes, positions the platform as suited to banks seeking to scale trade finance operations without a proportional increase in manual workload or compliance exposure.
Furthermore, the partnership reflects a broader industry shift in which banks are increasingly turning to specialist AI vendors to address the dual pressures of cost efficiency and regulatory scrutiny in trade finance. ICC rule compliance, AML obligations, and the operational burden of processing diverse document types, including bills of lading, letters of credit, and certificates of origin, have made the sector a growing focus for AI-driven workflow automation.
NatWest, which operates primarily in the UK, serves a significant share of the country's business banking market. The addition of automated TBML screening and ICC-aligned document examination is consistent with the direction regulators have encouraged financial institutions to take in strengthening trade finance oversight.
