Trade & Supply Chain

SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Trade Finance Innovation
The impact of the trade finance shortfall is particularly significant for small and medium-size enterprises.

Scotland still brings in more foreign direct investment than many larger countries. Last year it again headed the list of top UK destinations outside London.

SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Innovation In Trade Finance
Alternative finance—in all its myriad forms—could prove the answer to the global trade finance gap.

GCC Regional Report 2015 | Special Economic Zones
Special economic zones are allowing GCC countries to diversify their economies away from oil and provide jobs to their citizenry.

Trends | FX Commodities Q&A
Petr Grishin, head of macro research and chief economist for Eastern Europe at VTB Capital, discussed the ruble, oil prices and Russian trade with Global Finance.

Big Data | Chief financial officers have been modeling profit and loss statements for years, but in an era of big data they face a different and increasingly complex task.

Special Report | Supply Chain Risk Management
The treasury team is now critical to making supply chains more flexible while mitigating risks.

Special Report | Trade Finance Trends
A greater supply of capital and a dip in demand are strangling the trade finance business.

The Age of the Internet of Things is in full swing—and manufacturing will never be the same.

Supply chain vulnerabilities can have long-term consequences, so a country’s resilience to disruptions is a major boon to companies seeking to locate operations.

Newsmakers | United Kingdom
The appointment of Bill Winters to replace Peter Sands as CEO of Standard Chartered has been universally welcomed, as the troubled bank saw profits fall by 30% last year compared with 2013 levels.

High Tech Sector
Playing to its youthful strengths, the Middle East has enormous high-tech potential but still has room to grow.     

Milestones | Mexico
Mexico is now Latin America’s largest annual automobile manufacturer, with 2014 production outpacing that of Brazil for the first time since 2002.

Consumer Products Sector
The region’s largest retailers continue to expand, as do multinational companies, in this growing markets.          

Royal Bank Of Scotland plans to vastly scale back its Transaction Services business. It is a further sign of the challenging times faced by global transaction banks.

FDI & Economic Development Update | Asia
Inbound FDI was down globally last year, but the lion’s share went to Asia.

Regional Report | Latin America
Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru are handling the drop in commodities prices better than the rest of Latin America.

Country Report | Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit is ballooning, but a ministerial reshuffle has fueled hopes the kingdom is resolute in kicking its hydrocarbon addiction.

Market Analysis | Trade Finance
The outlook for trade finance in North America appears modestly positive. “Growth will be more in line with global GDP,” says Chris Lewis, executive vice president and group head, international trade services, Wells Fargo.

Q&A | Supply Chain Finance
Tomáš Hron, head of global transaction banking, UniCredit Bank, Czech Republic and Slovakia, on the limits of digitization in trade and the supply chain.