Latest Analysis

Fred Hochberg, chairman and president of US Ex-Im, discusses the export credit agency’s current status and opportunities for future growth.

Brexit – the UK’s decision to leave the European Union – was largely unexpected. So much so that a call for a second referendum quickly followed the result, as many were left with so-called buyer’s remorse. Now, with a seemingly pro-Brexit government in office, it is clear that the vote to leave will stick. This will, undoubtedly, have direct and near-immediate consequences for UK trade.

The AES Colon LNG-to-power project has pushed the tenor on combined DFI and commercial bank financings in Central America – and done so despite a merchant tail.

As banks look to ancillary business to nurse more return from margin-pressured ECA-backed export loans, BBVA is launching the first export finance-backed covered bond programme under Spain’s Cedulas de Internacionalizacion legislation.

Tees Biomass, the world’s largest biomass power project, has received the final green light and funding via a multisourced deal that includes a long-term working capital facility.

In a new supply chain support structure, UK-based equipment supplier, Dints International has received backing from UK Export Finance (UKEF) to provide Gold Fields Ghana with supply chain services for its Africa-based mining operations.

There is a growing mismatch between the level of ECA debt pricing and the commodities-linked cashflows emerging markets borrowers can generate to service those debts. But some ECAs are responding with innovative fundraising and a relaxation of credit policies.

As banks attempt to offload or downsize shipping portfolios, the cruise ship sector is attracting significant backing, both from export credit agencies and commercial banks.

The last two years of a pre-export monopoly on loans for Russian borrowers may be coming to an end. Margins are tightening and other financing avenues, closed by EU/US sanctions, are beginning to reopen.

A look at the reporting requirements of the new Securities Financing Transactions Regulations.

Swept up in the enthusiasm around new, perhaps more sophisticated, trade finance instruments, it can be easy to overlook the Letter of Credit (LC).

Ted Young, Chief Financial Officer at Dorian LPG speaks to Trade Finance Analytics about the financing requirements for shipping companies, the issues facing the industry and what it takes to structure a large, ECA-backed deal.

As awareness of specialist financing grows, continued expansion of the industry is certain. Given this, are specialist financiers now moving into the mainstream?

Trade finance has traditionally been considered to be behind the times when it comes to implementing technology to streamline transaction processes. Trade Finance Analytics outlines the key themes discussed at the recent Trade Finance FinTech conference in Geneva to establish the current state of play.

Commodity financing in Latin America has encountered tough times over the last few years as fragile economies have combined with lower commodity prices to diminish the attractiveness of the region for trade financiers.

Located at the Asia-Europe crossroads, while at an ideal proximity to Africa, Dubai has always been well positioned to capitalise on the large trading volumes that pass through the region.

Over the past 12 months Turkish trade and export finance has faced political uncertainty, a plummeting lira, weakness in traditional export markets, and higher cost of funding for Turkish trade finance lenders. But weak commodities pricing has been a boon for the economy and both trade and export markets are feeling the benefit.

The persistent overdependence on oil is Nigeria’s major setback. In the universal climate of a collapsed price in oil, Africa’s largest oil producer faces further challenges of a currency crisis and militant threat, including pipeline sabotages.

A regulatory shadow continues to be cast over the outlook of key commodity players, from traders to insurers, who attended this year’s Trade Finance Global Commodities Finance & Working Capital Optimisation conference in Geneva.