At the 2021 ITFA Annual Conference in Bristol, England, TFG was delighted to have the opportunity to speak face-to-face with some of the biggest names in trade finance.
With major players such as Bank of America, the Bank of England, Santander, and Willis Towers Watson represented, we are sure that all trade finance participants can learn something new from this video series.
So whether you are a bank, corporate, SME, insurer, fintech, policymaker, or ratings agency, take a look around and see what’s on offer.
For your convenience, we have grouped the videos into five categories:
- Trade and supply chain finance – An introduction and overview
- Trade finance – Market updates
- Trade digitalisation
- Trade credit insurance updates
- Sustainability and ESG
Enjoy!
Trade and supply chain finance – An introduction and overview
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On the red carpet – ITFA Chairman Sean Edwards on changes in global trade finance after COVID-19
TFG sat down with Sean Edwards, chairman of ITFA, to discuss how trade finance has changed – or not changed – during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the industry can build on its learnings from the pandemic going forward.
Despite global trade volumes having bounced back in 2020-21, one of the biggest stories of the pandemic is that trade finance lending hasn’t bounced back in the same way, and is in fact lagging behind quite significantly.
Edwards also talks about the reputation of supply chain finance, the LIBOR transition, and ESG.
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Steady, dynamic growth – Santander’s Bertrand de Comminges on why corporates are moving into supply chain finance
After another year of disruption for much of the global economy in 2021, one sector that has emerged mostly unscathed – except for one high-profile collapse – is supply chain finance.
Despite lockdowns and the rapid pace of inflation, supply chain finance was still able to deliver, helping world trade volume to return to pre-pandemic levels as quickly as possible.
Bertrand de Comminges, global head of trade finance investments at Santander Asset Management, has dubbed this an “extraordinary performance” for supply chain finance.
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Short-term, low-risk, self-liquidating – Santander’s Alberto Amo on trade finance as an investable asset class
Alberto Amo discusses low-density assets like short-term trade finance transactions, as well as the case for trade finance as a low-risk, investable asset class.
However, the low default rates of these self-liquidating, short-term assets are still poorly understood among institutional investors.
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In conversation – ITFA’s Lorna Pillow discusses recruitment, education, and women’s choices in trade finance
Speaking to Trade Finance Global, Pillow said she has overseen major changes as head of communication at ITFA, not just in the way the association presents itself, but also in terms of its reach and scope.
With more than 20 years’ experience in trade finance, Lorna Pillow has seen the industry evolve a great deal since taking her first job as a post-graduate in 1998.
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Trade finance – Market updates
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ITFA market practice update – Structured LCs, MRPAs, the LIBOR transition
The world’s most important number is changing, and traders need to be aware of its implications.
For businesses both large and small, changes to the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) could have far-reaching consequences, and one industry expert, Paul Coles, is keeping a close eye on the transition.
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Time to engage – Bank of England’s Alastair Hughes offers advice on preparing for LIBOR transition
The cessation of the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, will be one of the most important events affecting trade finance this year.
Often referred to as the “world’s most important number”, LIBOR is the benchmark interest rate at which major global banks lend to each other, and it has been in place since the 1970s.
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Trade digitalisation
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The F Word – ITFA’s Andre Casterman on helping banks and fintechs work together
Banks and fintechs have not always been the closest playmates, but ITFA’s Andre Casterman is on a mission to help them work together.
In this interview, Casterman draws a distinction between what can be digitised without any need for policy change, versus the specific instruments that require changes in law or policy to function, such as the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR).
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‘No turning back’ – Bank of America’s Baris Kalay on trade digitalisation after COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic may have wreaked havoc on global trade and supply chains over the last 18 months, but one upshot to the upheaval has been the increased use of digitalised trade finance tools.
Here Bank of America’s Baris Kalay explains why there is likely no going back to the old, pre-pandemic ways of doing business for trade finance.
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Trade credit insurance updates
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Willis Towers Watson’s Chris Hall on ITFA expansion, trade credit and non-payment insurance
Like many organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) has had to adapt to a changing business landscape.
And despite a great deal of disruptions and restrictions that have affected global trade over the last two years, ITFA has nonetheless made considerable progress in its regional expansion efforts.
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Scott Ettien on building ITFA’s harmonised Basel III-compliant trade credit insurance policy form
In October 2021, the International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) published its long-awaited harmonised Basel III-compliant trade credit insurance policy form.
Designed to help banks and insurers negotiate deals, the harmonised form was the product of almost four years of leadership from Scott Ettien, who has led the Basel III Think Tank Initiative since its inception in 2018.
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Sustainability and ESG
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50 Shades of Green – ITFA’s Johanna Wissing on ESG for trade finance
While some in trade finance struggle with green fatigue, ITFA’s Johanna Wissing isn’t one of them.
Having joined ITFA as a board member in 2021, Wissing has since become the front-woman for the association’s work on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues.
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Dr. Joanna Burch-Brown discusses the EU taxonomy and the ethics of green finance
With last year’s biggest climate conference, COP26, now behind us, 2022 may turn out to be a landmark year for raising awareness of green finance.
In this interview, Dr. Joanna Burch-Brown guides us through the intersection of trade, finance, and environmental ethics.
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Fitch’s Alastair Sewell highlights the role of money market funds in the ESG era
With environmental issues now a top priority for the investment world, Alastair Sewell’s undergraduate degree in biology is finally paying off.
In this video, Sewell explores the fusion of money market funds and Fitch’s ESG Ratings system, which helps banks and coporates identify sustainable finance opportunities.
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