ADB’s Steven Beck explores the challenges, risks, and implications of fighting financial crime and how such precautions are impacting market gaps.

During Consortia 2019, Deepesh Patel heard from Chief Strategy Officer Dave Sutter from TradeIX, discussing the key requirements for the true digitalisation of trade finance, and what interoperability means for the networks and consortia within the blockchain / DLT trade space.

ABSA’s Doreen Fick examines the current state of the African trade and receivables market, highlighting key tools and initiatives.

Stenn International’s Kerstin Caroline Braun addresses the $1.5tn trade gap, and discusses how non-bank financing can help bridge the gap.

LSE’s Grace Lordon explores the gender gap that exists in trade finance, examining why it exists and how it might be overcome.

SWIFT – The Society Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication was founded in 1973 and has been the global standard for financial messaging between banks ever since. The messaging service is used by over 11,000 banks and institutions across 200 countries and have sent over three billion financial messages so far in 2019.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Banking Commission has today released a whitepaper urging the trade finance industry to work together to ensure that regulation does not hinder the availability of trade finance and remains relevant in a digital landscape.

The world’s largest exporter, China is set to grow with its huge Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) over the next few years. TFG heard from Lantana Tech’s CEO, Derek Lee, on some of the challenges and opportunities within this market.

“Having experienced the fulfilment of serving the public, you can be sure that I will seek to contribute again” – Baroness Rona Fairhead CBE in her letter of resignation to PM Theresa May

The ecosystem of cross border trade can be a complex one, and a level of assurance is needed to ensure proper levels of trade can be reached as efficiently as possible. A Bill of Lading, sometimes shortened to B/L acts as such assurance, as when issued by a carrier of goods it presents acknowledgement of the receipt of the cargo for shipment.