New project finance head at SG
SG, the corporate and investment banking arm of the Société Générale Group, has announced the appointment of William (Bill) Schmid as global head of project finance. He re
The Iraq War is seemingly over on the battlefield level. Now the clear-up and reconstruction begins. But what about the impact on the oil industry worldwide?
Pottengal Mukundan, Director at the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in London, explains the potential pitfalls for banks and traders when faced with fraud. The key is to make checks into the track record and financial viability of a potenti
Reliable, accurate and timely information enhances the granting of trade credit and investments. The absence of such information increases risk, argues Joachim Bartels, chairman of Intrepid Explorers, Inc. Attitudes concerning mandatory or voluntary
Rolling up the sleeves at Ex-Im
No stranger to either government service or the private sector, Philip Merrill was sworn in as US Ex-Im Bank chairman in December last year. He has spent most of his working life however as a private
The role of law firms in trade finance is as diverse as the sector itself and their participation perhaps more important than ever. As trade finance breaks its traditional boundaries it is playing a more complex game, one in which the rules are not
Syndicated loans have long been the leading method of financing for trade-related deals. While there are structural changes underway which will have long-term implications for bank lending in all forms, for trade finance at least, syndicated loans l
fter three rounds of negotiations Caricom and Costa Rica concluded a free trade agreement which holds the promise of significantly increasing trade between 13 Caricom countries and Costa Rica, a market of some 4 million persons.
admin istration in Venezuela has introduced foreign currency controls that have been criticised by many as aiming to damage the president's opponents rather than have any coherent economic aim.
Paiton restructuring success in Indonesia
The funding of the Paiton I power project in Indonesia has been successfully concluded through the joint efforts of US Ex-Im Bank, Japan’s JBIC, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (
Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan have been jointly mandated to arrange a 150mn syndicated term loan facility for Croatia's Zagrebacka banka (Zaba). The purpose of the facility is to provide Zaba with funds for on-lending to its clients for general trade purposes.
Predictability scrapped
Russia’s tax regime is considered watertight enough for production sharing agreements to be axed now, according to the government, only to be used in exceptional cases. Foreign oil majors and other spec
South African credit insurer, Credit Guarantee, has not changed its underwriting stance towards any of the countries in the Middle East, but will continue to monitor the situation, it claims. Credit Guarantee general manager of exports, Gernot Kruger, says that the local credit insurer would adopt a view similar to that of the world's leading credit insurers and maintain its current stance towards Middle Eastern countries.
UK export credit agency ECGD came back online for Iran in 2000. After a near-silent reaction from the commercial markets, 2002-03 has seen enquiries start to flow and deals sealed. Rupert Sayer talks to two of the ECGD team
ADB helps W & C Africa export sector
The African Development Bank (ADB) has approved a regional line of credit of US$20 million to Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), a regional private financial institution with 12 subsidiari
South Africa still dominates the continent with its banks, corporates and influence. Martin Clark looks at how this influence is as strong as ever and which South African institutions stand out in particular.
Why not go electronic
With Southeast Asia facing a low-growth economic environment, companies are redoubling efforts to reduce cost and enhance efficiency. Banks offer a range of electronic trade capabilities t
Companies can solve many trading problems by switching to an open account trade programme that works in tandem with their letter of credit structure and EDI systems, according to Maureen Sullivan, Vice-President, Citigroup Global Transaction Service
JPMorgan Treasury Services, a unit of JPMorgan Chase Bank, has announced that its integrated, secure global trade supply chain solution JPMorgan TradeDoc is now available directly to clients via the web.
Banks spread bet on the future
Why do banks invest in both proprietary electronic solutions and at the same time participate in global e-initiatives John Franck
LatAm leads better quarter returns
Steady returns, contracting volatility and good performance in Latin America . This has characterised the year’s first quarter returns for the LTP Trade Finance Index, the in
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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?
