The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) and BAFT today shared some of the ad hoc practices being implemented by FIs under the COVID-19 pandemic.

ITFA, BAFT, Berne Union, IACPM, IUA and LMA today wrote to European Union policymakers about the importance of facilitating bank lending amid the COVID-19 crisis.

TFG has released its latest issue of Trade Finance Talks entitled ‘Challenging Business: Trade Finance in Developing Markets.

The title of the EBRD’s transition report 2019-2020 – “Better Governance, Better Economies” – summarises its message well. Good governance matters. It matters at the level of countries, subnational regions and firms…

TFG’s Editor, Deepesh Patel, spoke to Yves Mersch about the strategical priorities of the ECB in 2020. They discussed the importance of central banks’ independence for the foreseeing of their mandates. The ECB’s mandate is to ensure price stability…

TFG’s Editor Deepesh Patel spoke to Stacey Facter, BAFT’s Senior Vice President for Trade Products, during BAFT’s Global Annual Meeting, held in Frankfurt from January 13-15, 2020. Anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions were key compliance themes at the meeting, so TFG caught up to discuss how these could be tackled moving forward, and what’s in stock for 2020.

Currency is part and parcel of monetary policy, and a public mandate of the European Central Bank (ECB). TFG’s Editor, Deepesh Patel, spoke to ECB’s Yves Mersch about the possibilities of central bank digital currencies in relation to payment systems, faster transaction times and settlements. Separating the hype from reality; Mersch spoke to TFG about the regulatory consequences of central bank digital currencies. “We are tech neutral. We want to stay ahead of tech. Tech has to serve our purpose, not the other way around.”

Dubai. The TFG International Trade Awards 2020, in cooperation with BAFT, recognise those who have provided an outstanding contribution to global trade and finance.

TFG caught up with Steve Lotito, Managing Director & Head of Trade Finance-North America, Transaction Banking at MUFG. Steve is also in the Board of Directors of BAFT. There are many challenges and opportunities facing the trade finance business that requires daily attention to the most senior Business Heads.

We caught up with the President of the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT). We talked about the balance of human capital and technology in the international transaction banking, about the amendments of the funded master risk participation agreement and how trade-based money laundering can be eradicated.