denotes premium content | Dec 5 2008 Trade & Forfaiting Review magazine archive
Volume 5 Issue 5
Features
BANKS IN THE UK: True Brit
TFR has spoken to the two UK banks that seem to have anything interesting to say about trade business at the moment (and who aren’t reeling from events in Argentina). Global trade and export heads from Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland give their take on last year and the future.
Coface @ratings country ratings update
Accessible free of charge via www.cofacerating.com, this service provides regularly updated ratings for 140 of the world’s most important trading nations and aims to help companies find out where they can trade safely in the world.
DOCUMENTARY CREDIT FRAUD: Credit where credit is due
An innovative Lloyd’s broker has developed a new banker’s product to protect trade financiers against fraud and counterfeiting of documentary credits. Simon Hayter, Director of Marketing at Cooper Gay & Co Ltd, a large Lloyd’s broker headquartered in London with a global network of subsidiary offices and agents, tells us more.
ECA focus: SACE - An agency in distress
SACE, Italy’s export credit agency, is in trouble, according to Giovanni Bracale, President of Improgetti Group, and overseas agent for Iran Overseas Investment Bank. A recent report shows it to be lacking in vital capabilities that other national ECAs possess. In short, it needs to change its philosophy and attitude quickly.
FACTORING: Alternative assurance
David Smith, Managing Director of EUROFACTOR, explains how when a bank turns its back on export debtors, factoring houses can offer a reassuring alternative. Factoring is based on the future revenue stream of businesses rather than on past performance and is on the increase in the trade and export market.
FORFAITING MARKETS: Market practice: An insider’s view
Forfaiters met at their annual general meeting in September and all were not united as far as attitudes to standard documentation and market practice. Here, Tim Everitt, Head of Forfait and Trade Finance at Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, a Member of the Board of the International Forfaiting Association and Deputy Chairman of the Market Practice Committee, gives his take on the outcome of votes on market practice and explains why he believes standardisation must and will succeed.
ONLINE TRADE CREDIT INSURANCE: Offering online advantages
By moving trade credit insurance online, carriers are not only reducing costs in the supply chain and broadening distribution channels, they’re providing added transparency for a product that is relatively new but beginning to gain traction in potentially high growth markets like the US. Ranjini Pillay, Vice-President – Product Development, at AIG Tradecredit.com, part of AIG eBusiness Risk Solutions, explains further.
POLITICAL RISK INSURANCE: A bank guide to PRI
Commercial banks are increasingly using political risk insurance. Rick Jenney from Morrison & Foerster LLP in Washington DC gives an overview of political risk insurance for commercial banks - why and when to use it, what it protects against, and who offers it.
TRADE FINANCE INDEX: Poor returns
The LTP Trade Finance Index from LTP Risk Management gives its December performance update. The month saw a poor performance by the index, with Argentina still casting a shadow.
Willis Trade Finance Country Reports - Middle East & North Africa
California processing
There are three US banks that have announced electronic trade offerings recently: Bank of America, Bank One and United California Bank. Antonio Costa has a look at what’s in store for their customers.
Ensuring a smooth sail
What does a maritime e-commerce platform need to be successful? Christian Young, Chief Executive Officer at Setfair, an online provider of a dedicated and independent web-based global maritime procurement solution, analyses e-commerce and security in the maritime industry.
Essential, rapid, adaptable, cost effective
B2B e-commerce needs to be democratised and commoditised in the same way that the first mainframes were for the PC to become a part of everyone's life. If not, it will remain an exclusive club for the Fortune 500. Steve Hornyak is Chief Strategist at Clarus Corporation, the online procurement solution company.
Long-term thinking in a short-term marketplace
Fortunately for business planning, the most important activity to undertake today is to not pick a winner, but to gain experience in the field, says Greg Adamson, Principal Consultant Manager at ICL e-Business Consultancy Practice in Scotland. While the next round of technology will be different, the experience a company has gained in adopting the last round will remain valid, if the company has had a clear understanding of why it chose that technology and how it measured the business benefits gained from it.
More cash, customers and capabilities
Online trade finance system, TradeCard, has attracted the headlines lately by raising more cash, taking on a few new customers, and enhancing its electronic shipment capabilities through an agreement with TradeLink Technologies. Dennis Chong reports.
No procurement panacea
David Oates, Vice-President EMEA at Moai Technologies, looks at the current state of online B2B trading exchanges and explains how many are victims of their own successes.
The impact of EPO
Until now the ideal solution for maximising return on assets may have been elusive for some. Here, Sam Brown, Manugistics' European Product Manager, discusses the benefits of a new business discipline - enterprise profit optimisation (EPO) - that is set to have a dramatic impact on the supply chain world.
