Trade Finance Talks

ICC Banking Commission’s Lynn Ng on the need to simplify trade

The ICC Banking Commission is one of the leading global rule-making bodies for the banking industry, producing universally accepted rules and guidelines which are vital in facilitating trade-led growth and development. From the Uniform Customs and Practice rules for documentary credits to rules on collections, demand guarantees and electronic rules, ICC’s rules underpin trillions of dollars worth of trade going through banks each year.
TFG’s editor, Deepesh Patel spoke with Lynn Ng, ICC’s new Banking Commission chair to discuss ICC’s new governance strategy moving forward and some of the key priorities for the Banking Commission.
Full transcript here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e65-icc-banking-commissions-lynn-ng-on-need-to-simplify-trade/

Electronic Documents and English Law: the roadmap to digital trade documents

If sustainability and blockchain aren’t the biggest buzzwords in trade finance right now, it’s MLETR - the model law on electronic transferable records.
In this episode, we discussed the realities of implementing the United Nations Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records into local markets, an incredibly important advancement in accepting electronic signatures, with Sarah Green, Law Commissioner, English Law Commission.
Full Transcript Here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e64-electronic-documents-and-english-law-the-roadmap-to-digital-trade-documents/

Sanctions: Rolls Royce, on the tactical complexities of voluntary reporting

Reporting Export Incidents, whether on a voluntary or involuntary basis, as well as investigating non-compliance in relation to trade finance operations, is of huge importance to multinationals, banks and policy makers. With that in mind, Spencer Chilvers, Head of Export Control Policy, Rolls-Royce to discuss export controls, the current sanctions environment, and the future, on Trade Finance Talks!
 
Full Transcript Here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e63-sanctions-rolls-royce-tactical-complexities-voluntary-reporting/

Trade Finance Week presents: African Trade - Digitalisation, Compliance and Sustainability - Standard Bank and Afreximbank

As part of Trade Finance Week by ICC Austria, we continued Trade Finance Week, with an African view on global trade.
For trade and supply chains in Africa, access to trade finance, the past 15 months have been incredibly tough for lives, livelihoods and economies, particularly in emerging developing markets. But trade must go on. If anything, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many efforts to rethink the way we do trade. Is paper really necessary and is there a way that we can rethink trade documents? How has trade based financial crime fared in Africa, and what must we do to keep bad actors out of the trade system? And is this finally an opportunity for us to bring sustainability right to the forefront, as a business imperative, rather than just a nice to have? In this podcast, we talk AfCTFA, MANSA and the digital future of African trade, discussing trade digitisation, risk and compliance and sustainability.
Featuring:
Eleonore Treu, ICC Austria
Kwabena Ayirebi, AfreximBank
Isaac Mahanke, Standard Bank
Full transcript here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/video-africa-focus-trade-digitisation-trade-finance-week-2021/ and here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/video-africa-focus-sustainable-trade-trade-finance-week-2021/ 

The LIBOR transition and trade finance

By the end of 2021, it’s anticipated that these rates will be discontinued, transitioning to the Sterling Overnight Index Average, or SONIA for short, and, for US Dollar benchmarks, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, SOFR). But what does this mean for trade finance, trade finance documents such as Master Participation Agreements, products, and what are the current recommendations?
Full transcript here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e61-libor-transition-trade-finance/ 

Sustainable Trade Finance

Trade finance has a significant role to play in sustainable development and ESG, which extends to addressing global challenges around climate change, human rights and biodiversity.
The banking industry is certainly making progress towards their sustainability mandates, which is no longer a ‘nice to have’, rather, a business imperative. But if we are to jointly work towards the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, raising truly understanding the benefits of sustainable trade assets, understanding the appetite from the investment community, and sharing best in class practices that are being applied locally and globally is critical.

Enigio - Bring back paper documents! Is the document the missing part of digital trade puzzl

Digitalization often takes over conversations when it comes to making trade more efficient. It’s well documented that trade is an incredibly paper-heavy, inefficient, unsustainable business right now, but the insurmountable task of ‘digitizing trade’ is rather complex. 
Full transcript here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e59-bring-back-paper-documents-is-the-document-the-missing-part-of-digital-trade-puzzle/ 

Barclays - Can green bonds and indemnities reduce environmental impact?

ESG. Environmental, Social and Governance. Three words we hear more and more. But what does it actually mean? Both corporates and consumers are focusing on environmental and sustainability practices when making financial decisions. Consumers are demanding ethically and sustainably sourced products, and it’s leading to questions around the transparency of global value chains. As businesses look towards ESG factors in their trade finance decisions, we’re here today discussing whether financial instruments in trade can address these concerns.
Full transcript here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-barclays-s1-e58-can-green-bonds-and-indemnities-reduce-environmental-impact/

Standby Letters of Credit (SBLCs) and their role in International Trade

We take a dive into the world of Letters of Credit (LCs) - non-structured, unfunded trade finance products - some of the essential tools in cross-border trade transactions. An LC is a payment undertaking that a financial institution issues on behalf of a buyer. There are many different types, and in this podcast, TFG gets an overview on Commercial Letters of Credit and Standby Letters of Credit (SBLCs).
Full podcast and transcript here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-s1-e57-baft-standby-letters-of-credit-sblc/

Voice of the CBI: What is the UK’s Independent Trade Agenda?

In this podcast, as part of our UK trade series, we focus on 3 themes: what trade relationships in a post-Brexit world actually means for business, the role of trade when it comes to post-pandemic economic recovery, and the importance of international cooperation and multilateralism when it comes to boosting global trade.
On the 1st January 2021, the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) came into effect, but there are many loose ends, and the transition is not yet complete. We discuss this, as well as the UK's independent trade agenda with Andy Burwell, Director for International Trade and Investment at the CBI.
Read the transcript here: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/voice-of-the-cbi-what-is-the-uks-independent-trade-agenda/