First cross-bank blockchain based letter of credit transaction completed
Standard Chartered announced the successful completion of the first cross-bank Letter of Credit (LC) transaction between Vietnam and Thailand conducted over blockchain, in partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB), Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam and Standard Chartered Bank (Thai).
Shipping your first container..?? Here are some tips to help you
In anything that we do in life, the first time is a scary thought – first time on a bike, first time driving a car, first time swimming, first date, first kiss ……………….. etc..
So why should shipping your first container be any different..??
It could be a scary thought if you are a first-time exporter or importing for the first time, but like everything else, if done and handled correctly, shipping your first container can be a good experience as well..
Here are some tips to assist you in shipping your first container..
Trade and Digitalisation
Trade as we know it (or don’t know it) has been around for centuries in various forms across various time-lines..
Starting from trade on the Silk roads around 1st century BC, through the Spice Routes between the 7th and 15th centuries to the current age of globalisation, trade has come a long way indeed..
While the business of trade itself hasn’t changed from the basic concept of buying and selling, the methodology of trade and trade patterns have changed drastically especially over the last few decades..
Its official – Incoterms 2020 has been released
Incoterms 2020, the 9th version of the Incoterms® rules has been in the making for a while now.. Following its introduction in Incoterms® in 1936, these international commercial (Inco) trade terms were revised in 1957, 1967, 1976, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010 to accommodate changes as global trade developed and evolved..
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) chose its centenary year 2019, to launch the 9th version of the Incoterms®, the Incoterms® 2020..
Brexit and its implications on the shipping industry
On June 23rd 2016, a 51.9% majority of British voters elected for their country to leave the European Union. This referendum started the nation along a two-year journey to part with the political and economic union encompassing the European continent.
As we draw nearer to the now-extended October 31st 2019 deadline, and with newly elected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s promise for “no deal Brexit”, it is more important than ever to take the time to fully understand the impact that Brexit could have on businesses.
Maersk awarded Best Shipping Company at the TFG International Trade Finance Awards
2018 was a catalyst for technological innovation in the trade and receivables space, which in turn, has helped enhance and facilitate global trade..
For banks, corporates and SMEs involved in complex supply chains, building innovative technologies and allowing interoperability between different parties will continue to be a force for good in terms of trade..
TFG commend the innovators, market makers and visionaries leading innovation in global trade, be that through distributed ledger technologies, APIs or the digitalisation of documents..
A.P. Moller – Maersk is amongst some of the many organisations recognised and commended for their contribution to the trade sector at the 2019 International Trade Finance Awards..
Maersk has been awarded “Best Shipping Company” by Trade Finance Global (TFG) for its work with Maersk Trade Finance product..
Example of a currency swap and how it can help trade..
A Currency Swap is a pact between two countries that allows trading in their own currency and payments to import and export trade at pre-determined exchange rates without bringing in a third currency..
In this article we discuss with a latest example how the currency swap works and how it helps trade between the countries in the currency swap agreement..
Trade Finance Providers and their role in the industry
Continuing with our educational series on Trade Finance, in this article we look at who Trade Finance Providers are and what their role is in International Trade transactions..
The lengthy trade cycles and financial risks inherent in conducting international trade transactions mean that firms engaged in import and export continue to rely on trade finance as a key tool when managing their accounts and cashflow.
Historically, this been provided to MNCs by traditional commercial banks, with SMEs left to rely on conventional banking products or sporadic government finance initiatives.
However, with trade finance under supplied following the financial crisis, the number of non-bank lending platforms offering these products to both SMEs and larger clients has grown steadily in recent years.
Import & Export Finance
Continuing with our educational series on Trade Finance, in this article we look at Import and Export Finance and how it works in international trade.
Moving raw materials, incomplete goods and finished products between trade jurisdictions can be fraught with regulatory complexity, financial risk and business uncertainty.
As a result, many firms refrain from engaging in importing or exporting. However, these activities can also be extremely lucrative; importing can grow revenues and reduce costs, whilst exporting increases firms’ customer base, and therefore their profits.
This leaves many firms in the awkward position of knowing there are profitable international transactions out there for them to conduct, but being unable to free up the capital from their businesses’ existing accounts receivable to invest in them without taking great risks with their companies’ assets and cash flow.
Trade financiers have the tools and the expertise to manage both these issues and help both importers and exporters invest in profitable international ventures.
Disadvantages of Trade Finance and how to avoid them
At first glance, trade finance offers huge benefits to all parties involved in an international transaction.
Importers can invest in profitable new international ventures without extracting capital from their business or compromising cash flow, and can repay the finance using profits generated from their imported receivable on lengthy repayment terms, whilst suppliers receive payment as soon as goods are dispatched.
Both also benefit from the security of a middleman who enforces their contractual obligations and insures them against non-payment.
While there are several advantages of using Trade Finance there can be disadvantages to using trade finance as well, which usually result from lack of awareness about the product.
In this article we look at the disadvantages of Trade Finance and offer five key pieces of advice to avoid/overcome these disadvantages..
The link between Trade Finance and Transport
Trade Finance and Transport are intricately linked in the process of global trade..
In Part 3 of the Trade Finance series, we take a look at how these two are linked and how it impacts on global trade as a whole.. We discuss the strategy to be used, the risks and how to mitigate them, how to secure and execute your transactions and how to drive your business profits..