All elections have implications for the wider economic outlook, but given that the US economy (around US$22trn in GDP) is the world’s largest and touches most parts of the global system, the 2020 election result has particular nuances – especially in this time of Covid-19. “It was an eventful year;…
Interviews
West Africa’s trade and Covid-19
How is Sub-Saharan Africa weathering the Covid-19 pandemic? Better than expected, conclude our panellists on this episode of Trade Finance TV. This is region, as Dr Rebecca Harding puts it, “blown about by things happening outside its control”. Take Nigeria, where 10% of its GDP comes from oil exports that…
MENA trade, Covid-19 and oil price volatility
One of the big winners of globalisation has been the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region. As MENA diversifies from hydrocarbons, it has evolved into a trade hub. But Covid-19 has disrupted this journey and trade has been slowing down. Although capacity is being restored after the collapse of…
Trade finance digitalisation boost?
While global trade growth contracted during the Covid-19 pandemic, collective efforts to contain the virus have given the digitalisation journey a new urgency. “Digitalisation was seen as an efficiency opportunity or a market development opportunity. With Covid-19 the difficulties of moving paper around the world have become extreme. Digitalisation is…
Trade finance – a connecting force
At the start of 2019, Dr Rebecca Harding joined us in the Trade Finance TV studio as our very first guest and predicted a rocky year ahead for trade as globalisation morphed into localisation. You can look back at “Trade growth drivers and the risks of derailment,” here. A year…
Manufacturing uptick drives new wave of demand in base metals
After what has been a tough two years for metals demand as a result of a slowdown in manufacturing – particularly in China – the outlook is brighter at the dawn of the new decade. Nick Snowdon, Deutsche Bank’s Metals Analyst at Deutsche Bank Research joins Trade Finance TV to…
A golden safe haven
Gold continues to glitter for three very good reasons, says Nicholas Snowdon, Deutsche Bank’s Metals Analyst at Deutsche Bank Research – a low interest rate environment, a record period for bonds yielding below flat, and low inflation. “Geopolitical events support safe haven buying and this creates a strong environment for…
Can climate change policies change global trade behaviour?
To kick start the first Trade Finance TV show of the new decade, we welcome Luke Templeman, Analyst, Thematic Research at Deutsche Bank and the return of Dr Rebecca Harding, CEO of Coriolis Technologies to discuss what climate change-related issues came out of the World Economic Annual Meeting Davos 2020…
Supporting young trade finance professionals
Trade Finance TV welcomes into the studio Duarte Pedreira, who in addition to his day job in trade finance at Crown Agents Bank, heads the Emerging Leaders programme at the International Trade and Forfaiting Association. He is joined by two actual ITFA Emerging Leaders, Aycan Ertuğrul of the Berne Union…
Accessing trade finance expertise
Pouya Jafari, is an Associate at Channel Capital Advisers, and ITFA Emerging Leader and on his LinkedIn profile describes himself as “a curious and driven professional with a deep interest in global trade, investment management, and geopolitics”. He joins us on Trade Finance TV to share his journey as a…
Choosing a trade finance career
Now Head of Trade Finance at Crown Agents’ Bank, Duarte Pedreira launched what was then the Young Professionals’ Initiative at the International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) three years ago in 2016. This has grown into ITFA’s Emerging Leaders Initiative, chaired by Pedreira, who had come into the trade finance…
Trade Finance Professional Education
As David Morrish, Relationship Director of the London Institute of Banking and Finance reflects his 50 years in trade finance, he talks to Trade Finance TV about why there is such a strong demand for trade finance and transaction banking professional education. It’s all down to a new normal of…