Archive for May, 2023

For over 65 years, Export Finance Australia (EFA) has been helping businesses take on the world. Over this long history, we have gained a unique perspective on the challenges faced by exporters, and how finance can help address them. 

Your Monday morning coffee briefing from TFG, 8th May 2023

Trade Finance Global (TFG) is proud to announce that part of its Trade Finance Talks content has been accredited as official Continuing Professional Development (CPD) resources for a wide range of courses offered by The London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF).

To successfully digitalise Bills of Lading, the three necessary foundations are law, standards and technology. Without their proper application, any eBL SaaS platform, notwithstanding the attractiveness of the business model, is unstable.

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.

Despite most industries witnessing digital leaps forward over the past decade, the world of trade has kept its focus on paper-based documentation. In fact, trade documents such as promissory notes, bills of lading, and performance bonds have remained relatively unchanged for centuries.

FCI, the global representative body for factoring and financing of open account domestic and international trade receivables, has released their annual World Factoring Statistics report.

After years of dealing with the oppressive clouds of COVID-19, the world has since experienced the bloodiest land war in Europe since World War II, inflation levels unseen since the 1980s, rising interest rates, and large scale political instability across all regions. And now, a looming debt crisis in the US.

In international trade, shipping containers are vital for transporting goods safely and securely. To use them, however, many shipping lines require traders to put down deposits – known as container deposits – to safeguard against possible liabilities such as damage, demurrage, or total loss of the container.

Economically disadvantaged people have been trafficked into countries as sources of “cheap” labour throughout history. The International Labour Organization estimates more than 50 million people around the world are trapped in some form of modern slavery.

Your Monday morning coffee briefing from TFG, 8th May 2023

Just over two weeks ago, Commodity Trading Week gathered over 300 experts from across the world, tackling some of the most pertinent questions and challenges in the industry. TFG summarises the key findings.

Fast fashion brands are looking at technology to help improve supply chain sustainability and meet their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets.

Historically, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has always been a cornerstone of the global trade landscape, with its strategic location, abundant resources, and diverse economies. However, the region’s complex geopolitical dynamics, regulatory challenges, and ever-changing markets have posed significant obstacles to trade finance in recent decades. 

Trade Finance Global is proud to partner with Dr Robert Besseling, Pangea-Risk and John Miller, Trade Data Monitor to provide an overview of MENA-related political risk and trade data. Providing a succinct overview of MENA politics and trade breakdown is a crucial component of any publication that aims to provide comprehensive coverage of global affairs.