Fraud has been a prevalent issue in commodity trading and financing over the past few years, most recently in relation to cargoes of metals.
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.
The Court of Appeal in England has decided in MUR Shipping BV v. RTI Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 1406 (27 October 2022) that sometimes a party must accept payment in Euros, even though the contract expressly stipulated payment to be made in US Dollars. Although the case is not about independent undertakings, DCW readers might ask if the decision could have implications for letters of credit and demand guarantees.
Recent news reports have suggested that the European Union Parliament will likely retain treatment of certain trade finance instruments at a credit conversion factor (CCF) of 20% instead of increasing it to 50%, but trade finance specialists tracking the ongoing proceedings have said that the EU banking community needs to remain extremely cautious.
The MLETR (Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records) is a revolutionary solution that aims to transform the trade finance industry by providing an open framework for digitising trade documentation.
The geographically dispersed nature of international trade creates inherent difficulties when it comes to trusting a counterparty that may be located on the opposite end of the world.
Supply Chain Finance can, and should, be a force for good in ensuring much-needed liquidity reaches all suppliers, regardless of their size and meets the objectives of buyers.
Dubai’s undeniable growth in trade, logistics and the financing of international commerce has made it one of the most desirable trade destinations in the world. This is why I invested more time with members of the ITFA Middle East committee in 2022.
Persistent structural gaps within and between the world’s economies will decisively influence trade in the years ahead. This was one of the key findings in the latest Future of Trade report.
The 52-page ICC DSI report identifies and defines the key data elements held within each of the seven identified key trade documents: namely, the certificate of origin, customs declaration, packing list, bill of lading, commercial invoice, warehouse receipt, and insurance certificate.
