Latest news with #SupplyChainFinance
Zawya
10-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Afreximbank President Launches New Edition of Structured Trade Finance Book at 32nd Annual Meetings
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) ( launched the second edition of Foundations and Evolution of Structured Trade Finance, a landmark publication on a specialised field of trade finance shaped by decades of real-world application. Authored by Professor Benedict O. Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank and a pivotal figure in the development of Structured Trade Finance (STF), the book provides a practical, step-by-step guide to structuring trade finance transactions. It delves into real-world case studies, explores risks and the theoretical foundations of STF, and broadens its scope beyond commodities to address a wide range of trade scenarios. The updated edition introduces dedicated chapters on reserve-based lending, supply chain finance, and the use of emerging technologies in structured trade finance. These additions make the book particularly relevant in today's complex and increasingly risk-sensitive global regulatory environment. Speaking at the book launch and signing event held during the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja, Nigeria, Professor Oramah reflected on the significant progress made in trade finance since the early 1990s. 'When I joined Afreximbank in 1994 the world was still grappling with a severe sovereign debt crisis, and structured trade finance was just beginning to emerge as a tool for financing trade in challenging markets. 'As Afreximbank began operations in 1994, we embraced structured trade finance for its ability to mitigate risk. At its core, structured trade finance enables practitioners to be innovative, as its fundamental principle allows for the transfer of risks from parties who are less able to bear them to those who are more capable of absorbing shocks,' said Professor Oramah. The first edition of the book highlighted trade finance structures that largely supported North-South trade—an approach that contributed to trade diversion, with businesses often favouring extra-African over intra-African trade due to more accessible financing. Today, global trade dynamics have shifted dramatically. South-South trade now dominates, with Africa's trade with other developing countries rising from approximately 23% of its total trade in 1995 to an estimated 68% in 2024. Over the same period, Africa's trade with advanced economies has declined to less than 50%. Structured Trade Finance has played a transformative role in reversing Africa's trend of de-industrialisation. By extending beyond commodity-based structures, STF has supported the emergence of African manufacturing hubs, fostered regional and domestic value chains, and enabled the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. Afreximbank continues to build the continent's economic future on this foundation of innovation and resilience. The second edition of Foundations and Evolution of Structured Trade Finance is now available via Globe Law and Business ( Amazon, and major retailers including Blackwell's, Waterstones, Wildy's, Baker&Taylor, and Gardners. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank. Follow us on: X: Facebook: LinkedIn: Instagram: About Afreximbank: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa's trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank's total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody's (Baa1), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, "the Group"). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
Associated Press
30-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Banks Can Speed Access to Capital with New Oracle Trade and Supply Chain Finance Cloud Services
Automation and streamlined operations enable greater speed, transparency, and value-added services to corporate clients AUSTIN, Texas, June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New Oracle Trade Finance and Supply Chain Finance cloud services are empowering banks to provide corporate and small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) clients faster access to financing through streamlined trade processes. Oracle has introduced these new cloud services to unify operations and help manage the entire trade and supply chain finance lifecycles. The new trade finance service enables banks to streamline, automate, and manage trade finance operations across geographies and currencies, improving operational efficiency and visibility. The new supply chain finance service enables the full lifecycle and factoring across receivables and payables, offering supplier-centric and buyer-centric financing. By modernizing these corporate banking functions, banks can accelerate underwriting processes, improve regulatory compliance management, reduce physical documentation, and more effectively prevent fraud. In addition, the new digital self-service capabilities provide corporate clients the ability to initiate transactions and get real-time updates, including the ability to transparently track the progress of their finance requests, manage collateral, and get a real-time view of limits utilized, leading to a better customer experience. Corporates can also digitally onboard their counterparties as part of a tailored supply chain finance program with automated Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. This helps inject liquidity across the value chain for more financial flexibility and to enable banks to offer add-on services to the trade ecosystem. 'Trade finance and supply chain finance demand a resilient and agile technology foundation, one that can adapt to the inherent volatility of global commerce,' said Sovan Shatpathy, senior vice president, product management and development, Oracle Financial Services. 'Our next-generation cloud solutions are purpose-built to transform how banks manage the full trade lifecycle delivering faster execution, greater operational efficiency, and enhanced transparency by harnessing the scale and intelligence of the cloud.' The new solutions are part of the broader Oracle Banking Cloud Services portfolio, which includes Oracle Digital Banking Experience, Banking APIs, Originations, Accounts, Cash Management, Enterprise Limits and Collateral Management, Payments and Retail cloud services. Addressing the trade finance and supply chain finance gap The Asian Development Bank has reported1 that the global trade finance gap is estimated at USD $2.5 trillion or 10% of global merchandise trade, indicating the scarcity in the availability of finance for trade stakeholders. Addressing this scarcity challenge is often marred by legacy systems that stifle innovation with manual workflows, inefficient processes, and inconsistent communication. Oracle Banking Trade Finance Cloud Service provides automated workflows and flexible product configurations to support digital trade operations across multiple geographies. This includes managing the end-to-end lifecycle for a wide range of trade finance services, such as documentary credits, guarantees, and documentary collections. Oracle Banking Supply Chain Finance Cloud Service is a pre-built and pre-configured digital, front-to-back solution that enables banks to bring new products to market faster and efficiently manage buyers and suppliers on the same platform. Complete automation and straight-through processing (STP) of disbursement and liquidation processes also helps banks scale their supply chain finance operations and reach new customer segments. Each cloud-native application in the componentized, and composable Oracle Banking Cloud Services portfolio helps banks modernize with less risk and deliver faster time-to-value. Services can run standalone or integrate with existing systems, providing provisioning and availability in just minutes. They also feature automated patching and reduced disaster-recovery switchover times that can lower IT costs and burden. The services are built on the security, performance and scalability of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure . To learn more, visit: About Oracle Financial Services Oracle Financial Services provides solutions for retail banking, corporate banking, payments, asset management, life insurance, annuities, and healthcare payers. With our comprehensive set of integrated digital and data platforms, banks and insurers are empowered to deliver next-generation financial services. We enable customer-centric transformation, support collaborative innovation, and drive efficiency. Our data and analytical platforms help financial institutions drive customer insight, integrate risk and finance, fight financial crime, and comply with regulations. To learn more, visit our website at . About Oracle Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at . Trademarks Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company—ushering in the new era of cloud computing. 1 ADB - 2023 Trade Finance Gaps, Growth, and Jobs Survey, September 2023, View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Oracle
Trade Arabia
11-06-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
EDGE, FAB sign strategic deal to build resilient financial ecosystem
EDGE Group, one of the world's leading advanced technology and defence groups, has entered a strategic partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). The agreement covers two major financial initiatives: the implementation of FAB's advanced Supply Chain Finance (SCF) solution and the deployment of its AI-powered Treasury Management System (TMS). EDGE said its deployment of FAB's AI-powered TMS represents the largest to date. The solution delivers real-time cash visibility, advanced forecasting capabilities, and integrated risk management tools, enabling EDGE to automate treasury operations and optimise liquidity across the Group. The platform provides protection for interest rate risk and FX risk, while improving financial agility, investment planning, and funding, it stated. EDGE Managing Director and CEO Hamad Al Marar said: "Our partnership with FAB is a strategic enabler of our global industrial ambitions. It reinforces the financial architecture required to operate at scale, with speed and resilience. In an increasingly competitive and complex environment, this alignment ensures we remain agile, well-capitalised, and positioned for sustained international growth." Group Head of Wholesale Banking Martin Tricaud said: "FAB's partnership with EDGE marks a step forward in building a more resilient supplier ecosystem. We recognise that effective cashflow and supply chain finance are fundamental to sustainable business models. By combining our global expertise with innovative financial solutions, we are enhancing financial agility and enabling long-term value creation." "Through FAB's digital SCF solution, EDGE provides local and international suppliers access to early, low-cost financing, which enhances supplier trust, improves commercial terms, and ensures continuity across critical operations," he added. Group Chief Financial Officer Rodrigo Torres said: "This partnership reflects EDGE's commitment to embedding financial sophistication and innovation at the core of our operations. By integrating FAB's advanced SCF and AI-powered TMS platforms, we are optimising liquidity and supplier performance while also reinforcing our ability to manage risk and scale with confidence." Torres, said to date, over AED1.6 billion in invoices have been processed, unlocking more than AED1.2 billion in off-balance sheet financing.
Zawya
11-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
EDGE, FAB sign strategic agreement to build resilient financial ecosystem
ABU DHABI - EDGE Group, one of the world's leading advanced technology and defence groups, has entered a strategic partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). The agreement covers two major financial initiatives: the implementation of FAB's advanced Supply Chain Finance (SCF) solution and the deployment of its AI-powered Treasury Management System (TMS). Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE, said, 'Our partnership with FAB is a strategic enabler of EDGE's global industrial ambitions. It reinforces the financial architecture required to operate at scale, with speed and resilience. In an increasingly competitive and complex environment, this alignment ensures we remain agile, well-capitalised, and positioned for sustained international growth.' Martin Tricaud, Group Head of Wholesale Banking at FAB, said, 'FAB's partnership with EDGE marks a step forward in building a more resilient supplier ecosystem. We recognise that effective cashflow and supply chain finance are fundamental to sustainable business models. By combining our global expertise with innovative financial solutions, we are enhancing financial agility and enabling long-term value creation.' Through FAB's digital SCF solution, EDGE provides local and international suppliers access to early, low-cost financing, which enhances supplier trust, improves commercial terms, and ensures continuity across critical operations. EDGE's deployment of FAB's AI-powered TMS represents the largest to date. The solution delivers real-time cash visibility, advanced forecasting capabilities, and integrated risk management tools, enabling EDGE to automate treasury operations and optimise liquidity across the Group. The platform provides protection for interest rate risk and FX risk, while improving financial agility, investment planning, and funding. Rodrigo Torres, Group Chief Financial Officer of EDGE, said, 'This partnership reflects EDGE's commitment to embedding financial sophistication and innovation at the core of our operations. By integrating FAB's advanced SCF and AI-powered TMS platforms, we are optimising liquidity and supplier performance while also reinforcing our ability to manage risk and scale with confidence." He added that to date, over AED1.6 billion in invoices have been processed, unlocking more than AED1.2 billion in off-balance sheet financing. These solutions enable real-time cash control, intelligent forecasting, and stronger financial governance across the Group – all of which are critical to supporting the long-term growth strategy and industrial objectives.
Zawya
11-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
EDGE and FAB sign strategic agreement to build a resilient financial ecosystem
Abu Dhabi, UAE: EDGE Group, one of the world's leading advanced technology and defence groups, has entered a strategic partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE's global bank. The agreement covers two major financial initiatives: the implementation of FAB's advanced Supply Chain Finance (SCF) solution and the deployment of its AI-powered Treasury Management System (TMS). Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE said: 'Our partnership with FAB is a strategic enabler of EDGE's global industrial ambitions. It reinforces the financial architecture required to operate at scale, with speed and resilience. In an increasingly competitive and complex environment, this alignment ensures we remain agile, well-capitalised, and positioned for sustained international growth.' Martin Tricaud, Group Head of Wholesale Banking at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), said: 'FAB's partnership with EDGE marks a step forward in building a more resilient supplier ecosystem. We recognise that effective cashflow and supply chain finance are fundamental to sustainable business models. By combining our global expertise with innovative financial solutions, we are enhancing financial agility and enabling long-term value creation.' Through FAB's digital SCF solution, EDGE provides local and international suppliers access to early, low-cost financing, which enhances supplier trust, improves commercial terms, and ensures continuity across critical operations. EDGE's deployment of FAB's AI-powered TMS represents the largest to date. The solution delivers real-time cash visibility, advanced forecasting capabilities, and integrated risk management tools, enabling EDGE to automate treasury operations and optimise liquidity across the Group. The platform provides protection for interest rate risk and FX risk, while improving financial agility, investment planning, and funding. Rodrigo Torres, Group Chief Financial Officer of EDGE, said: 'This partnership reflects EDGE's commitment to embedding financial sophistication and innovation at the core of our operations. By integrating FAB's advanced SCF and AI-powered TMS platforms, we are optimising liquidity and supplier performance while also reinforcing our ability to manage risk and scale with confidence. To date, over AED 1.6 billion in invoices have been processed, unlocking more than AED 1.2 billion in off-balance sheet financing. These solutions enable real-time cash control, intelligent forecasting, and stronger financial governance across the Group all of which are critical to supporting our long-term growth strategy and industrial objectives.'
