Countries

The AfCFTA is an agreement seeking to establish a free trade area in Africa. AfCFTA’s trade liberalization objective, along with other industries goals, Africa may just be set for a new horizon in its trade, post-COVID19.

Hin Leong Trading’s, founded by Singaporean oil tycoon Oon Kuin, collapse sends shockwaves through industry leading businesses to significantly embrace digital transformation.

TFG heard from EXX Africa’s Keri Leicher, on the economic, political and health crisis in Africa caused by Covid-19 pandemic. Keri spoke of Africa’s high level of debt and silent attacks affecting the continent’s security.

Now is the time for trade finance institutions to take the lead in efforts to strengthen SME resilience and leave them in a position to be able to bounce back in the aftermath of the pandemic.

ICC Banking Commission has released its 2019 Trade Register Report, revealing COVID-19’s potential to disrupt global trade.

A toxic combination of macroeconomic dispute, a global pandemic which by now we are all too familiar with and dwindling storage capacity led to negative prices for crude oil for the first time in history, and the worst performance of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) on the New York Mercantile Exchange since its futures trading opening in 1983.

Here the story has been less dramatic. After the initial collapse in the pound to a 35-year low against the USD and 11-year low against EUR, we’ve seen a recovery to a level slightly above the average since the Brexit vote.

“WTO economists believe the decline will likely exceed the trade slump brought on by the global financial crisis of 2008-2009″

As airlines struggle with their cashflows as a result of the travel slump brought about by Covid-19, TFG’s Flora Tan spoke to Ocorian’s Conor Blake, examining the impacts.

As the APAC region solidifies its global trade leadership, banks gain an opportunity to serve new finance needs as long as they make needed technology and process changes.

TFG heard from Finastra and Cognizant discussing trade and supply chain trends in Asia for 2020. Accounting for half of global GDP, what are the biggest challenges that lie ahead?

TFG’s Ross McKenzie spoke to Singapore based Mike Walker, Finastra, discussing the relationship between banks and corporates, and a reality check on the current state of technological innovations and digitization to open up opportunities in trade and SCF.

Unexpected and unpredictable, COVID-19 has already made a huge impact on global economies and markets, including the currency market.

As part of TFG’s South America series, TFG heard from GPS on trade and investments in the agro-industrial sector within Mercosur, South America, and how the bioeconomy, agro-industrial development and climate change are linked to sustainable development for food security.

TFG heard from French ECA Bpifrance around the current market for lending to French exporters as the biggest worries for SME exporters