Keeping the faith
Lula’s been in the hot seat for a month and so far, so good. Have all the fears and predictions surrounding Brazil ’s new president been unfounded and sensationa
Stay strict with the structure!
If innovation is a measure of a market, then it is sometimes hard to understand what it is telling us. The past couple of years, with an explosion of new risk factors, have bro
Sweet turns sour for trader
When is a commodity forward contract a regulated investment Clyde & Co’s Clare Hatcher looks at a recent legal case where one sugar trader was forced into liquidation
Bright spots in a difficult market
Tony Carter is manager of structured trade finance at engineering group KBR. He talks to GTR about business last year and
Malaysia goes for gold
Malaysia ’s colourful prime minister is leading an initiative to launch a new gold-based trading standard adhering to Islamic principles. Is this just a Mahathir attentio
Italy's export credit agency Sace has launched a new insurance product that Valentino Pischedda, Deputy Managing Director at machine and plant manufacturer SACMI, claims opens a new era for the Italian market.
No more ambiguity
Industry-wide adoption of the ISBP is a genuine win/win for everyone, argues Donald Smith, vice-president, Global Trade Finance and Services, at Citibank NA. When al
A quiet advantage
Increasing numbers of exporters are using the facilities offered by banks known as “silent confirmations”. But what does this mean and what are the advantages to the exporter
Surviving the times
Profits and trade volume are down. With no alternative business to take up this capacity is the forfaiting industry under threat as a provider of a stand-alone product Where does trade
Local knowledge pays off
The Maghreb region is often dismissed as politically worrying with scant financing opportunities. But for those committed to the region it provides a surprising amou
A channel for business
Trade finance volumes in Asia may have been down in recent years, but some markets, China particularly, are throwing up a score of opportunities. This is
Feeling the pinch
Zambia once a prosperous commodity-led economy is suffering economically. Political scandals and instability are not helping the situation. Martin Clark
Turning over a new leaf
Following recent elections and a clear-out of the old order, Kenya is set on a new course of constitutional and economic reform. Will it succeed and what sectors offe
The economy that came from the cold
Russia is flavour of the month for trade financiers. Here, Anne van”t Veer , managing director of Amsterdam Trade Bank NV (ATB) and former secretary
Finding the perfect partner
EmdexTrade has set up an electronic trading platform that its creators call a “dating service” for traders. It is free to access, until a trade is initiated, and offers
Why the reluctance
In the past few years, US banks have been working feverishly to expand and develop new cross-border accounts payable (AP) outsourcing services. Why the sudden rush Part of this effo
Below average end to 2002
Margin squeezes in Brazil and Indonesia have kept trade finance returns slightly down during December and January. The LTP Trade Finance Index for the
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Banks are jostling for a stake in South Africa’s promising renewable energy sector. Will this be the next best thing for the project finance market, asks GTR deputy editor Shannon Manders?
