Trade Finance Talks

Episod

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  PODCAST | Africa is ripe for receivables finance 17.08.2026 26min

  African markets are among the fastest-growing for receivables finance, but the solution remains virtually unknown in many parts of the continent.  Yet as a financing model, receivables finance, also known as factoring,  lets businesses unlock cash tied up in unpaid invoices instead of waiting 30, 60, or even 90 days for payments. Through receivables finance, the supplier sells outstanding invoices to a third party - a factor - and the factor advances the majority of the invoice value, with financing linked to the underlying receivables and the creditworthiness of the debtor. The cash provided by the factor can then fund payroll, inventory, and essentially keep the wheels rolling before the buyer has completed payment.
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  Future of Trade with Standard Chartered E5: Are we closer to tokenisation in trade? 23.07.2026 20min

  Any conference, interview, or conversation on the future of trade will inevitably discuss the inefficiencies which need to be addressed before that future arrives.  Although artificial intelligence (AI) is, by now, ubiquitous, a redefinition of value, risk, and information transmission can be solved by tokenisation. But what do digital assets actually offer in the current context of global trade? And how ready is the present regulatory and cultural climate? For the final episode of Trade Finance Global (TFG) and Standard Chartered’s five-episode podcast series, Future of Trade, TFG’s Mark Abrams was joined by Standard Chartered’s Kevin Chang, Head of Trade and Working Capital for Hong Kong and GCNA  and Group Head of Trade Digital Assets, and Emily Chan, Director, Trade Product Manager, Digital Assets, to discuss the future of digital assets in trade.
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  VIDEO | How ING and Komgo drive the trade train down digital rails 20.07.2026 30min

  In an increasingly complex and fast-paced global economy, trade finance is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with digitalisation moving from a theoretical goal to an operational necessity.  As digital technologies become a defining feature of the field, industry leaders are increasingly reassessing what success looks like - a shift driven by a rapidly evolving landscape where traditional benchmarks seem to no longer be sufficient.  The discussion, hosted by Trade Finance Global (TFG), was convened by Souleïma Baddi, CEO of Komgo, Gregory Lambillon, CEO & Country Manager of ING Switzerland, and Jean-Marc Thijs, COO of ING Switzerland, to reflect on how this transformation is unfolding in practical terms.  
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  How ING and Komgo drive the trade train down digital rails 20.07.2026 30min

  In an increasingly complex and fast-paced global economy, trade finance is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with digitalisation moving from a theoretical goal to an operational necessity.  As digital technologies become a defining feature of the field, industry leaders are increasingly reassessing what success looks like - a shift driven by a rapidly evolving landscape where traditional benchmarks seem to no longer be sufficient.  The discussion, hosted by Trade Finance Global (TFG), was convened by Souleïma Baddi, CEO of Komgo, Gregory Lambillon, CEO & Country Manager of ING Switzerland, and Jean-Marc Thijs, COO of ING Switzerland, to reflect on how this transformation is unfolding in practical terms.  
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  Banking on the present with BAFT E2: What’s front of mind for bankers right now? 15.07.2026 25min

  At the BAFT’s (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade) Global Annual Meeting, held in Orlando, Florida, in May 2026, these themes were front and centre. BAFT’s flagship conference brought together transaction bankers from across the trade and payments industry in a ‘mini-SIBOS’ where attendees combined bilateral business meetings with sessions exploring the sector’s latest developments. For the second episode of Trade Finance Global (TFG) and BAFT’s podcast series, Banking on the Future, Mahika Ravi Shankar, Deputy Editor at TFG, spoke with Tod Burwell, BAFT’s President and CEO, to get an insider view on the conference and delve into its hottest topics.
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  Realising the full potential of AfCFTA begins with collective action and fighting corruption 10.07.2026 26min

  The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) forms a single market of over 1.4 billion people, making up the largest free trade zone in the world. Rooted in the philosophy of pan-Africanism, the AfCFTA unites the African Union member states as a means to build regional value chains and bolster the continent’s industrial development. 
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  Shaping transaction banking innovation around the needs of the end-user 07.07.2026 31min

  End-user needs are driving innovation in transaction banking, with banks focusing on integrated workflows rather than standalone financial products. Digitalisation, AI and high-quality data are helping businesses improve liquidity management, automate treasury processes, and enhance operational efficiency. Banks must embed services into clients' existing systems and workflows to provide flexible, data-driven solutions that adapt to changing market conditions.
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  The sustainability paradox of West African cocoa 18.06.2026 19min

  In 2026, prices of oil, gold, wheat, beef, and other commodities hit all-time highs, fueled by the inflationary effects of the Iran war. But one global good has plummeted - cocoa.    In the last year, prices have fallen 70%. An industry riddled by moral and social challenges, including child labour exploitation, carbon footprint, and deforestation, is now also under economic threat.   The future of West African cocoa, in particular, being subject to smuggling, storage constraints, financing challenges, and global regulatory hurdles, is falling into question.    Trade Finance Global (TFG) sat down with Dr Tedd George, CEO of Kleos Advisory and a regional and industry expert, to discuss the regulatory, financial, and ecological frameworks needed to make West African cocoa sustainable. 
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  Future of Trade with Standard Chartered E4: A new blueprint for resilient supply chain finance 09.06.2026 24min

  In the new normal of continuous geopolitical disruption and economic uncertainty, supply chain finance (SCF) is moving beyond its traditional remit.  SCF encompasses a set of financing solutions designed to optimise working capital and improve cash flow for both buyers and suppliers. These solutions range from buyer-led programmes such as approved payables finance (allowing buyers to pay later) to seller-led instruments such as receivables discounting, inventory finance, or distributor finance (which let sellers be paid on time). In essence, these solutions are designed to unlock liquidity across a trade cycle.
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  As risks multiply, insurers rethink the architecture of protection 30.04.2026 11min

  Sweeping geopolitical disruption is making credit and political risk insurance (CPRI) ever more crucial.    CPRI is moving away from being a reactive product, evolving into a structural, balance sheet tool that corporates need to embed into their capital relief, portfolio management, and liquidity strategies.
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  Growth opportunities in South-East Asia, and the right time for treasurers to pounce 15.04.2026 17min

  When corporate treasurers survey the global economic landscape for areas of future growth, one region comes up again and again: South-East Asia. The region enjoys some of the world’s fastest-growing, increasingly sophisticated export industries and an ever-wealthier population - 70% of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) population will be middle-class by 2030.  
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  Future of Trade with Standard Chartered E3: Opportunity in disruption: The transformation of commodity trade finance 31.03.2026 17min

  As supply chain difficulties and volatile commodity flows once again make headlines around the world, commodity trade finance (CTF) remains the backbone of global commodity transactions. The commodities sector has undergone an impressive evolution in the past decades, driven by macro trends and short-term shocks, and is now facing some of its biggest challenges yet. However, CTF providers are supporting the industry to improve its resilience and innovation. In the third episode of Trade Finance Global (TFG) and Standard Chartered’s five-episode podcast series, Future of Trade, TFG’s Mark Abrams spoke to Clemence Avril, Global Head of Commodity Trade Finance at Standard Chartered, to delve into the sector’s shifting landscape and unpack how this change is sparking opportunities.
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  Banking on the Present with BAFT E1: Straight-talking stablecoins 26.03.2026 30min

  Fully transparent, programmable, secure digital money that maintains a stable value: 20 years ago, stablecoins sounded about as realistic as flying cars and holograms. But recent technological advancements and regulatory innovation have made this once-distant dream a reality, turning it into one of banking’s hottest topics.
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  A barometer on the financial pressures of 2026 25.02.2026 14min

  Allianz Trade’s 2026 Risk Barometer identifies the 10 most pressing concerns faced by corporates for the year ahead, encompassing the views of 3,338 risk management experts, spanning 97 countries and territories. Doğa Usanmaz, Reporter at TFG, sat down with Sarah Murrow, President and CEO of Allianz Trade Americas, to discuss these changes. AI’s jump from eighth to second place in the Barometer rankings in just one year draws attention to the possibility of dark horses when it comes to risk. For Murrow, concentration is one of these dark horses.
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  What makes an MSME, and how can they be better included? 18.02.2026 14min

  The exclusion of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from finance isn’t driven by mere moral neglect, but by systemic infrastructural constraints - amplified by incomplete data.In a recent episode of Trade Finance Global’s (TFG) podcast series, Trade Finance Talks, Silvia Andreoletti, Senior Reporter at TFG, sat down with Adel Meer, Manager of SME Finance, Solutions & Impact, at the World Bank Group (WBG).
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  The many-headed hydra of financial crime 04.02.2026 16min

  The growth of AI in document forgery, the lethargic response of legislation, and the complexity of international commodity transactions all pose significant challenges to combating financial crime. 
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  What’s lurking in the shadow fleet? 04.02.2026 17min

  Russia has rapidly expanded its “shadow fleet” of ageing, poorly regulated tankers to bypass Western sanctions, now accounting for a significant share of global seaborne oil trade.
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  The Davos debrief: A litmus test for globalisation 23.01.2026 18min

  Tensions have been high at this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland. The tone was set from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s proclamation on Tuesday, 20 January, that “the rules-based order is fading”, for which he received a standing ovation.
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  Banking during blackouts in Ukraine 20.01.2026 19min

  When Russian tanks rolled into the Donbas, Sumy, Kherson and other regions of Ukraine in the early morning of 22 February 2022, the world watched in horror as the familiar story - a small state bullied into submission by a global superpower - repeated once again. Since then, the role of financial institutions both as providers of financing and pillars of the community has grown more firmly entrenched in Ukraine.
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  Rethinking FX in the era of volatility 19.01.2026 22min

  As sudden swings, geopolitical shifts, and the erosion of dollar-dominance reshape the market, foreign exchange (FX) — the global market for trading currencies — has become a central concern for businesses trading across borders.