Absa on the trade finance distribution revolution and closing the $2.5tn gap

As the world of international trade finance adapts to the changing macroeconomic environment and the ever-increasing trade finance gap, there has been a clear shift to the originate-to-distribute model. To help break down this fresh approach, TFG’s Brian Canup spoke with Oladapo Adeigbe, Head of Financial Institutions Trade Sales - (Africa) at Absa and Boitumelo Thoka, Head of Pan Africa Trade Working Capital Distribution, Syndication and Insurance Product at Absa. https://www.tradefinanceglobal...

Empowering the American dream: SBA's trade finance solutions for U.S. exporters

In this episode of Trade Finance Talks, Brian Canup, Assistant Editor at TFG spoke with Claire Ehmann, Acting Associate Administrator at the SBA, and Dan Pische, National Director of Trade Finance at the SBA. https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s2-e2-empowering-the-american-dream-sbas-trade-finance-solutions-for-u-s-exporters/...

Year ahead: Swift CIO on balancing uneven payments regulation and advancing CBDC

In anticipation of the BAFT International Trade and Payments Conference from 27-29 February 2024, in Washington, DC, TFG’s Deepesh Patel sat down with Tom Zschach, Chief Innovation Officer at Swift.

COP28 and beyond: ICC United Kingdom’s views on climate action and sustainable trade finance

At ICC United Kingdom’s annual conference, International Trade and Prosperity Week, TFG’s Deepesh Patel was joined by Chris Southworth, Secretary General at ICC United Kingdom, to discuss the importance for the business of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5° C and what the ICC is doing to support the sustainable transition. Follow the article here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e129-cop28-and-beyond-icc-united-kingdoms-views-on-climate-action/...

B20 India: Strengthening global value chains

In a recent episode of the CII podcasts, Mark Abrams, MD, and Global Head of Trade & Receivables Finance at Trade Finance Global (TFG), engaged in a thought-provoking conversation with Jayant Sriram, an ex-journalist. The episode discusses crucial aspects of international trade and finance, shedding light on challenges and innovative solutions shaping the industry. Read the article here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/b20-india-strengthening-global-value-chains/...

Brexit and beyond: Minister Nigel Huddleston on UK’s trade adaptations

To help understand how the UK government is staying ahead of these changes, Trade Finance Global’s (TFG) Brian Canup spoke with Minister Nigel Huddleston, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade To read the full article, go to https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e128-brexit-and-beyond-minister-nigel-huddleston-on-uks-trade-adaptations

ITFA: The tale of Article 506 and the transition period

At the International Trade Forfaiting Association (ITFA) 49th Annual Trade and Forfaiting Conference in Abu Dhabi, TFG’s Deepesh Patel spoke to Silja Calac, Board Member, and head of the ITFA Insurance Committee to learn more about credit risk insurance and its importance for trade, as well as specific aspects of the implementation of the Basel 3.1 Regulation. To read the full article, go to https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e127-itfa-the-tale-of-article-506-and-the-transition-...

Short-term, self-liquidating, is trade finance as an asset class on the up?

At the ITFA annual conference in Abu Dhabi, TFG’s Mark Abrams spoke with Nishit Kumar, Senior Director, Head of Loan Syndications and Distribution at Mashreq Bank, and Kamola Burikhodjaeva, Executive Director, Head of Americas Distribution at J.P. Morgan, looking at the role of trade finance risk distribution against the backdrop of prevailing market conditions. How are banks dealing with changing regulations? What are the impacts of new capital requirements? Follow along with Mark, Nishit and K...

From the Danube River to the world: Eastern Europe’s strategic edge & trade finance

At the EBRD TFP Trade Finance Forum, TFG’s Deepesh Patel spoke with Aurel Bernat, Executive Director, Financial Institutions and Investor Relations at Banca Transilvania, Oleksandr Shchur, Member of the Management Board at JSC Ukreximbank Ukraine and Ženja Radanović, Head of Documentary, Business Department at Eurobank Direktna a.d. Beograd, Serbia. Read here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e125-eastern-europes-strategic-edge-trade-finance/...

Unlocking opportunities: Trade finance as a lucrative asset class for investors

In this episode, Mark Abrams, Global Head of Trade Receivables Finance at Trade Finance Global was joined by Salman Khan Galindo, Portfolio Manager - Alternative Investments at Santander AM and Matt Taylor, Head of Alternative Debt at Legal and General Investment Management (LGM). Together, they shed light on the allure of trade finance for investors, the evolving investor landscape, and the pivotal factors influencing the risk-reward paradigm within this asset class. 📖 Read the article here ➡️...

Bridging borders: The role of B2B cross-border payments in the global economy

In this episode of Trade Finance Talks, TFG’s Deepesh Patel was joined by Ben Ellis, SVP and Global Head of Visa B2B Connect, in Toronto to get answers to these questions on cross-border payments. Access the article here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e123-bridging-borders-the-role-of-b2b-cross-border-payments-in-the-global-economy/

LGBTQ+ In Trade, Treasury & Payments

In this episode of Trade Finance Talks, TFG’s Deepesh Patel partnered with Allen & Overy, Asian Development Bank, JP Morgan, Lloyds Bank, Visa. Hear from industry experts: Natasha Condon, Global Head of Trade Sales, JP Morgan Alan Koenigsberg, SVP Visa Commercial Solutions Catherine Lang-Anderson, Partner, Allen & Overy Roberto Leva, Trade & Supply Chain Finance Relationship Manager, Asian Development Bank Rogier Van Lammeren, Managing Director, Head of Trade & Working Capital Pr...

How to prepare for Sibos 2023 - trade & payments updates from Swift

In this episode of Trade Finance Talks, TFG’s Deepesh Patel was joined by Shirish Wadivkar, Global Head - Wholesale Payments & Trade Strategy at Swift, to uncover the conference’s core themes, the latest Swift initiatives, and strategies to prepare for Sibos 2023. Access the article here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e121-how-to-prepare-for-sibos-2023-trade-payments-updates-from-swift

Public vs Private: How Export Credit Agencies and Export Finance can drive Inclusive Cross-Border Trade

In this episode of Trade Finance Talks, TFG’s Deepesh Patel was joined by Francesca Beomonte, Head of Structured Trade & Export Finance at UniCredit, to learn more about the role of ECAs in international trade. Access the article here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e120-unicredit-driving-export-finance-mitigating-risk-public-private-partnership/

African Sustainable Trade Finance – the way forward

The trade finance industry has long strived for inclusivity. It recognises the importance of embracing an overarching vision that fundamentally reimagines its practices. To fully realise this vision, it is imperative to actively engage African voices in trade finance discussions. Read here:

Cloaked in trade: Unmasking the underworld of trade-based money laundering

In this episode of Trade Finance Talks, Brian Canup, assistant editor at TFG, was joined by Channing Mavrellis, director of the Illicit Trade Program at Global Financial Integrity, to delve into the world of TBML. Together, they explored the latest developments and insights surrounding trade-based money laundering (TBML) practices. Read here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e118-cloaked-in-trade-unmasking-the-underworld-of-trade-based-money-laundering/...

First cross-border factoring facility between Armenia and Georgia supported by EBRD

During the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) 32nd Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Trade Finance Global spoke with several industry leaders to learn more about the particulars of a first-of-its-kind transaction. Access here: tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e117-first-cross-border-factoring-facility-between-armenia-georgia-ebrd/...

Factoring in the UAE: Developments and global implications

Factoring: An important finance product that is gaining popularity in recent years. While factoring is becoming more well-known, it is important to take proper steps to understand the legal framework that governs these transactions. Factoring laws play a critical role in determining the rights and responsibilities of the parties involved in a factoring arrangement, as well as the powers of financial institutions to provide various factoring products. Of particular interest, the UAE recently pass...

C4DTI wrap up - making trade cheaper, faster and simpler

In this episode of Trade Finance Talks, Deepesh Patel, editor at TFG was joined by Chris Southworth, co-chair of Legal Reform Advisory Board at ICC Digital Standards Initiative, and Nick Davies, director of the Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation. The trio explored the next steps, key actions, and ways to drive the adoption of digital trade. Southworth and Davies emphasised the importance of collaboration and working together to modernise the global trading system for the digital economy. Th...

Marshall Islands to Liberia, monitoring 68,218 vessels raises alarms for trade financiers

In 2023, there are over 68,000 vessels sailing around the oceans, carrying the goods that we all rely on. Simply put, the world’s oceans and maritime trade flow are massive. The oceans' vastness presents a particular challenge to monitor and regulate ocean vessels for the maritime transport industry. Of the 68,000 ocean vessels, more than 12%, or 8,000, have an unknown owner, creating significant risks for the industry. To better understand the world of ocean vessels and maritime trade regulatio...

Canada’s Minister Ng: Building ecosystems to support women-owned businesses

As the readers of Trade Finance Global (TFG) know, March is International Women’s Month. This month, the world is highlighting women across the globe and all industries. Throughout the month, TFG has heard numerous personal stories, outlining what it is like to be a woman in the workplace in 2023, giving examples of how far the world has come, and pointing out the areas which need improvement. TFG spoke to the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade Export Promotion, Small Business a...

Moving beyond gender: challenging stereotypes and biases in the workplace

As part of our Women in Trade Campaign, Trade Finance Global’s Natasha Roston spoke with Catherine Lang-Anderson, partner at Allen & Overy, to hear about her personal experiences and lessons learned as a female leader in the legal industry.

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions’ Natalia Clements on challenges in the workplace and equitable company policies

To better understand the larger picture of ‘Embracing Equity’, TFG’s Brian Canup spoke to Natalia Clements, senior trade finance specialist at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, who shared her experiences as a woman in the insurance industry, the challenges she has faced, and the importance of embracing equity in the workplace.

From policy to practice: navigating the road to digital trade in 2023

Trade and receivables finance, in football terms

With an estimated 3.5 billion fans around the world, it's no wonder the finance behind football piques interest, even in the world of trade and receivables finance . In this podcast, Trade Finance Global (TFG) delved into various facets of trade finance that affect the world of football, including player and receivables finance, project and export finance for clubs, and the ownership and running of football clubs. Read the full article here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e1...

Dirty financing: the slow progression of ESG

Since 195 countries signed the Paris Agreement at COP 21 in 2015, ESG has been a central talking point in the trade finance world. The term “ green finance ” has seen a 300% search increase on Google from 2015-2023. Shifting the conversation towards sustainability was undoubtedly an important step, as the shipping and trade sector contributes around 20% of global emissions. But what has come from this dialogue? The trade finance community continues to finance fossil fuels, and there have been nu...

To agriculture and beyond: a look at how IoT technology is transcending industry silos

To learn more about their collaboration and the role that technology can play in the commodities industry, Trade Finance Global (TFG) spoke with Peter Johnston (PJ), senior manager digital and agtech at GrainCorp, and Sean Birrell, CTO and co-founder of Veridapt. To read more: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/agriculture-beyond-iot-technology-transcending-industry-silos/...

The fight against economic crime in the UK: an inside look at the Economic Crime Transparency and Enforcement Act

Taking a step forward, the UK legislature has enacted legislation to prevent economic crime. To learn more about this essential piece of legislation in the financial and economic world, Trade Finance Global (TFG) spoke with Susan Hawley, executive director of Spotlight on Corruption. Read more here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e106-uk-economic-crime-enforcement-act/...

’22 in 22 minutes

There is little doubt that 2022 has been an unprecedented year and for better or for worse, there has been a lot that has happened in the trade, treasury, payments and supply chain spaces. As we make plans to wrap up this year and head into the next, TFG wanted to take a look back at all that has happened and the major themes discussed in each of the last 12 months. Read more here:

Incoterms: customs, case studies, and industry challenges

With so many of our daily goods coming from abroad, Incoterms play a much more significant role in our lives than most of us realise. Some estimates indicate that International Commercial Terms (Incoterms) help to facilitate around 90% of all goods and transport transactions worldwide. However, despite their widespread use and importance, these terms are often the source of a lot of confusion for importers and exporters alike. To help clarify the subject, Trade Finance Global (TFG) spoke with Ho...