SMBC has established a ‘Global Trade Finance’ department (GTFD). This will promote a wide range of trade finance services including export finance, structured trade, commodity finance, forfaiting and risk mitigation with financial institutions, with staff based in 13 locations across the globe. GTFD brings together for the first time SMBC’s trade finance activities into a single department.

Toshihide Orita, who since 2004 has been SMBC’s global head of trade finance, will be the first general manager of GTFD, based in London. The department will comprise around 110 staff, led by the existing management team including Takahisa Yano in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Masaki Kambayashi in Asia (including Japan), Kaoru Furuya and Taku Matsumoto jointly in the Americas, John Turnbull for structured trade and commodity business and David Lilley for forfaiting.

SMBC believes this will provide a very strong platform from which to further expand its growing trade business and better serve its global range of clients.

Says Orita: “I believe the establishment of a single global department will provide SMBC with a good platform for tapping into the ever-increasing volume of cross-border and cross-regional trade, with staff in the critical trade hubs and locations combining local knowledge with a worldwide network. We look forward to continuing to work together with our clients in all regions to provide high standards of service and bespoke solutions to their wide variety of trade finance needs.”