Trade

Tajara Monitor is in the process of broadening its coverage to include the other GCC countries in addition to the KSA, which CMM has published now for two years. In this edition, we look at some of the UAE Tajara findings in relation to trade finance. The UAE is the second biggest trading nation within the GCC. The 2010 report …

Corporates and banks in the Middle East face a variety of challenges when it comes to both cash management and trade fi nance. Here, Asif Raza, Vivek Anand, Farrukh Siddiqui and Ali Moosa explain to LIZ SALECKA how J.P. Morgan is helping its corporate and fi nancial institution clients to overcome these challenges and detail some of the bank’s latest …

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit has boosted its business enormously thanks in the main to its academic-cum-economist chief executive officer. MUSHTAK PARKER speaks exclusively to Dr Abdul Rahman El Tayeb Ali Taha The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and export Credit (ICIEC) has never had it so good. as the only multilateral …

Moody’s Investors Service, one of the leading rating agencies in the world, has re-affirmed the Aa3 insurance financial strength rating assigned to the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) for the first time in April 2008 and confirmed in October 2009. The agency noted that ICIEC’s rating reflected both its stand-alone fundamentals as well as …

Global trade f lows rebounded across many regions in 2010, according to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Trade and Finance Global Survey 2011, but high-pricing meant that traders in many low-income countries still faced difficulties accessing affordable trade finance.

The pressures of the post-crisis environment are signalling a return to a more traditional localised banking model. DOMINIC BROOM managing director and head of market development for BNY Mellon Treasury Services EMEA, discusses how a new approach to localglobal bank partnership can help banks in emerging markets overcome the hurdles presented by this shift .

The Turkish economy has now re-aligned itself more closely to the regional markets in the GCC and MENA countries. MUSHTAK PARKER reports in detail on the new outlook Whichever party wins the Turkish general election in June this year, one thing remains certain. Turkey’s participation banking sector will continue its steady progress and, in the process, further consolidate the sector …

The current political and economic climate in the Middle East has strengthened the need for letters of credit. LIZ SALECKA reports that they now look set to continue playing a crucial role in domestic, regional and international transactions – despite the global movement towards open account trading. Although about 80 per cent of global trade is now open account-based, approximately …

ALEXANDER R. MALAKET, CITP, reviews developments in the MENA region regarding the risk dimension of international trade finance.   Just as trade finance has emerged from the stillreal economic crisis with greater profile, the importance of risk assessment and mitigation have been effectively highlighted by the realities of the crisis. at the same time, political events in MENA and elsewhere …

  The ongoing market turmoil means that many local and regional banks are struggling to meet the increasinglysophisticated needs of their corporate clients, thus putting even the most established bank-corporate relationships at risk.  DOMINIC BROOM discusses how a more collaborative approach to local and global bank partnerships could turn this situation around. Working capital pressures combined with economic, market and …

A rise in treasury management sophistication in the Middle East has led to desire for “top-end” solutions, including integrated cash and trade interfaces. LIZ SALECKA delves into the latest thinking This has lead to an increased awareness of the benefits of integrated cash and trade solutions, which enable corporates to view and manage their cash and trade positions seamlessly via …

Standard Chartered has launched a mobile application designed for its corporate clients – cash and trade authorisation for android smartphone users. This announcement follows the October 2010 launch of its iPhone application that offers authorisation capability for cash and trade to its corporate clients. The bank says the application covers authorisation for both cash and trade functions. Mobile authorisation via …

Th e Middle East has experienced a rapid transformation over the last few years, and corporates are now looking for a range of innovative transaction banking products and services from their banks as well as support to grow their businesses – both locally and internationally. Steve Donovan, Middle East and Pakistan head of global transaction services, Citi, together with his …

Trade Finance continues to be a product of rising importance. CARLINE MAGINN – CMM, Trade Partner looks at all the latest trend In Q3 2010, corporate operating income was up two per cent compared with the same period last year and up four per cent and 39 per cent on the same periods in 2008 and 2007 respectively. Notwithstanding the …

Global recovery is not just about economic fundamentals – it is also about regaining confidence. MUSHTAK PARKER feels a number of pulses While the past year has seen a rebound of sorts for the global Islamic finance industry, prospects for 2011 are at best mixed with the consolidation of the recovery especially of the Sukuk market and core business lines, …

The recent global crisis has had major supply chain implications for both large regional, and multinational, trading companies active in the Middle East, as well as major manufacturers. LIZ SALECKA gets the bankers’ perspective Greater currency fluctuations have become a concern to large exporters of oil and oil-related products as well as commodities such as steel. Trading companies importing large …