Eleanor Wragg

Latin American supply chain platform Finkargo has raised US$20mn in a series A funding round, as it looks to meet growing demand among the region’s SMEs to connect to global value chains. The round was led by QED Investors, with the participation of new investor Nazca and existing investors Quona, Flybridge, Maya Capital and One...

The International Chamber of Commerce’s Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) has released a set of recommendations to unify machine-readable data elements across key trade documents, in a bid to catalyse interoperability and align fragmented digital practices across international trade. Launched on October 8 during the Mena Supply Chain Finance Forum in Dubai, Key Trade Documents and ...

The overwhelming majority of business leaders are still bullish on globalisation, even as protectionist policies, geopolitical tensions and pandemic-induced disruptions drive a retreat from the multilateral trading system, according to a large-scale survey carried out by Standard Chartered.

Baghdadi Capital, a family fund led by former Barclays global head of trade and working capital Baihas Baghdadi, has established a US-focused receivables finance business. Higher Bridge Capital (HBC), a Delaware-registered corporation with offices in New York, aims to support the working capital finance needs of US mid-market corporates and SMEs, complementing the Europe market ...

Financial technology solutions provider MonetaGo has made three high-profile additions to its board of directors, as it positions itself to deliver what its CEO calls a “comprehensive aggregated trade finance operating system”. The appointees are Arnau Porto, founder of Greentrail Capital and CEO of Nasdaq-listed Global Technology Acquisition Corp, who joins as executive chairman; Robyn ...

Both large and small companies across numerous industrial sectors are already using digitalisation to boost profits, cut costs and speed up transactions, just two months after the UK passed a law allowing electronic documents to be used in trade, according to a report by the country’s largest business organisation.

HSBC has named Vinay Mendonca chief executive officer of its joint venture with B2B trade platform Tradeshift. Initially announced in August, the as-yet-unnamed business is 75%-owned by HSBC and 25%-owned by Tradeshift. Once up and running in the first half of 2024, it will develop and commercialise technology that will be used by HSBC to...

The UK government has committed £4.5bn in funding for strategic manufacturing, as it seeks to lure more production to its shores in the face of fierce global competition. The Advanced Manufacturing Plan, unveiled during the Autumn Statement by Kemi Badenoch, the UK’s business and trade secretary, aims to ensure the UK is the “best place ...

HSBC is rolling out a “fast-track” digital trade finance demand guarantee that it says can be issued to a beneficiary in near real time. The guarantee is being made available via HSBC Trade Solutions, a digital trade finance platform developed in partnership with Canadian tech consultancy CGI that enables clients to originate and manage all ...

The World Trade Organization (WTO) and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) are calling on governments around the world to implement trade policies to support the rapid increase in green hydrogen production needed to transition to a low-carbon economy.