At the ICC UAE Trade Facilitation Summit in Dubai, Trade Finance Global (TFG) spoke with Vincent O’Brien, director of ICC United Arab Emirates (ICC UAE) and associate director of the Institute of International Banking Law and Practice (IIBLP), to learn more about trade in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

At the 2023 ITFA Trade and Investment Forum in London, Trade Finance Global spoke with Alexander Malaket, president, OPUS Advisory Services, to learn more about trade finance as an asset class, the promise of a standardised rating system, and the role of ESG as a catalyst for investment

As the commodity trading industry looks back on Q1 of 2023, it is evident that the first three months of the year have been marked by a number of significant events. 

The dematerialisation of invoices and other supply chain documents is set for rapid growth. Most importantly the B2B market can be expected to build on the success of larger enterprises in automating their accounts payable and receivable processes to spread e-invoicing practices to small and medium-sized businesses (SME).

Today, the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat and the World Bank Group announced their pilot initiative, Action on Climate and Trade (ACT), to help developing… read more →

For many SMEs, the financing gap is always a major concern. It is reported that financing shortages count for more than half of SMEs’ problems. This issue is important for national policymakers, and financiers, as SMEs are major drivers of economic growth, employment, and social development in all economies, but especially in developing countries.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Citi are jointly supporting the rollout of a sustainable supply chain finance programme for Finnish technology and services company Metso Outotec… read more →

Global trade is a constantly evolving landscape with new challenges and opportunities emerging all the time. In an international marketplace dominated by digital technologies that bridge gaps between oceans, staying… read more →

Today, Deutsche Bank and SACE announced the close of a €57 million, 10-year lending facility in support of local food production in the Republic of Angola. This facility was guaranteed… read more →

ESG is certainly not a new development, but its growth and importance in financial services have never been higher. Whilst there has been a big focus on the “E” in ESG, we’re also seeing a lot of progress in tackling other aspects, such as social action to address societal challenges. One of the biggest social challenges in global trade is the huge, and growing, finance gap.