Recap | Collaborative Trade Finance Event

06-09-2023 | Surecomp hosted an event to raise awareness of the benefits of ‘collaborative trade finance’ in Utrecht, Netherlands

The power of connecting trade finance to everyone

29-05-2023 | Continuing our theme of connectivity, in this blog we’ll take a closer look at how trade finance technology can connect all transaction participants, empowering more efficient trade while supporting collaboration (instead of competition) across the trade finance ecosystem.

Event | Collaborative Trade Finance: optimizing visibility, efficiency & connectivity

22-05-2023 | Companies need to secure trade finance as quickly and safely as possible to support their international trade agreements. However, a complex, paper-based process means many are waiting days for bank guarantee approvals, exposing them to FX volatility, rising transaction costs and liquidity constraints.

Democratising the trade finance process through digitalisation

16-05-2023 | Trade finance offers exceptional growth opportunities for businesses looking to trade internationally, but has sadly lagged behind other services due to its complicated nature and high barrier to entry. Surecomp streamlines this process through digitalisation helping to unlock greater access to all businesses.

Ask the treasuryXL expert #5 What is Factoring in Trade Finance?

03-11-2022 | treasuryXL | Wim KokLinkedIn |

treasuryXL is the community platform for everyone with a treasury question or answer! A common question asked by treasurers is what Factoring means in Trade Finance. In today’s article Ask the treasuryXL Expert, Wim Kok defines factoring in trade finance for us.

Factoring in Trade Finance

Question:  “What is Factoring in Trade Finance?”


Answer provided by Wim

What is Factoring in Trade Finance?

Well, there is a pretty good definition included in the Standard Definitions for Techniques of Supply Chain Finance, prepared by the Global Supply Chain Finance Forum and published by the ICC in 2016. It is currently being updated, but the definition is still alright.

There they give the definition of factoring in trade finance as: Factoring is a form of Receivables Purchase, in which sellers of goods and services sell their receivables (represented by outstanding invoices) at a discount to a finance provider (commonly known as the ‘factor’). A key differentiator of Factoring is that typically the finance provider becomes responsible for managing the debtor portfolio and collecting the payment of the underlying receivables.

Would you add anything to this definition? 

There are a number of things I would add to this to explain the terminology and make it more clear:

  • The term “factoring” is sometimes used as an umbrella term for all forms of invoice financing, including confidential invoice discounting. Strictly speaking, “factoring” refers to both debt management and debt purchase.
  • In the UK, factoring is usually communicated to the debtor, as the collection procedures are carried out by the funding provider (the “factor”).
  • Non-public factoring is usually more popular than full factoring. In this case, the customer retains control over the collection of the receivable.
  • In some markets, disclosure is required by law. Some even require the debt to be formally acknowledged before purchase.
  • In the UK, the standard practice is for the factor to purchase all debt – known as “whole turnover” – even if not all debt is eligible for financing. This gives the factor leeway to absorb any dilution or non-payment of individual invoices. Banks also take secondary security in the form of an “all-asset debenture”. This is registered at Companies House and notifies other potential lenders that debts have been transferred.
  • A subtle but important point is that a debt assignment can serve two purposes: it can mean that the debt has been bought or that the debt has been taken as security for a loan.
  • Many Fintechs offer single invoice/selected invoice/selected debtor solutions, but these are inherently riskier than whole turnover solutions. Large bank providers are generally reluctant to follow suit.
  • Factoring can be done with or without recourse. Even arrangements without recourse include provisions allowing the factor to require the customer to buy back the invoice under certain conditions (e.g. contractual dispute).
  • Factoring can possibly be “wrapped” in credit insurance.
  • In the UK, major finance providers tend to operate an “availability model” in factoring rather than funding individual invoices. The “availability” changes in real time as new eligible debts are purchased (within agreed counterparty limits etc) and existing debts are settled, defaulted or become ineligible. The customer can then draw down to “availability” at any time. This is similar to a “borrowing base” approach, albeit with frequent increases and decreases within the day. This model, combined with the “whole turnover” mandate, provides the factor with a secure source of repayment even if some invoices remain unpaid.

I trust this will be helpful and give more insight into this subject.

Wim Kok



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Digital rules (URDTT) for Trade Finance: Episode 4

25-05-2022 | Wim Kok | treasuryXL | LinkedIn |

Episode 4 of a series of educational videos on URDTT (Uniform Rules for Digital Trade Transactions) is now available. Please take a look and let me know what you think.  Previous episodes 1 are, of course, still available on our YouTube channel.


 

 


Trade Advisory Network Limited and treasuryXL Trade Finance experts launched their fourth episode of a series of free, educational videos on URDTT. There will be 6 episodes in total covering all aspects of the development, interpretation, and application of URDTT in the context of a digital trade strategy. In the upcoming period, you can expect one educational video per month.

Duration: 16.42 min

WATCH NOW FOR FREE

Enjoy, explore and develop!

Interested to know more about this topic and the upcoming educational videos? Contact our Expert Wim Kok.

 

Wim Kok

International Business Consultant
Trade Finance Specialist

 

 

 

 

Digital rules (URDTT) for Trade Finance: Episode 3

17-03-2022 | Wim Kok | treasuryXL | LinkedIn |

Episode 3 of a series of educational videos on URDTT (Uniform Rules for Digital Trade Transactions) is now available. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Episodes 1 & 2 are, of course, still available on our YouTube channel.


 

 


Trade Advisory Network Limited and treasuryXL Trade Finance experts launched their third episode of a series of free, educational videos on URDTT. There will be 6 episodes in total covering all aspects of the development, interpretation, and application of URDTT in the context of a digital trade strategy. In the upcoming months, you can expect one educational video per month.

What can you expect in the third episode?

In this session, we look at the parties involved in a Digital Trade Transaction (DTT). We start with the principal parties – the seller and the buyer – and then move on to the financial services provider, and finally cover any other parties that might be involved.

Duration: 14.46 min

WATCH NOW FOR FREE

Enjoy, explore and develop!

Interested to know more about this topic and the upcoming educational videos? Contact our Expert Wim Kok.

 

Wim Kok

International Business Consultant
Trade Finance Specialist

 

 

 

 

The Evolution of Legal Documents, The Next Step

22-02-2022 | Wim Kok | treasuryXL | LinkedIn |

 

A fantastic end-to-end digital journey has begun to create a paperless supply chain ecosystem for the benefit of all parties concerned in the documentary (paper heavy) Supply Chain settlements of today.


EVOLUTION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS, THE NEXT STEP

For this Enigo AB (www.Enigio.com) started at the basis of the current standard, the paper document. A clean sheet of paper!


A large share of the communication in a trade finance transaction is already digitalised. Banks structure customer communication through portals, negotiate via safe e-mail and sign using e-signatures, not to forget SWIFT which has already enabled the digitalisation of many products and process steps between banks. A major obstacle for achieving a completely digital trade finance world has been the requirements to be able to manage and present documents in their original form. Enigio’s focus has therefore been to create a digital document with the same properties as its paper equivalent. The trace:original document is designed to be able to hold all necessary data to execute a transaction and at the same time not being tied to any specific transaction infrastructure. More importantly it can also be managed by anyone with access to a computer and the internet.

 

How does the solution work? Watch below video:

 

Following the accelerating momentum (after and pushed by the Covid pandemic), we see changing environment in the banking landscape, which is becoming rapidly more adoptive for transformation, especially digitalisation of the paper heavy trade documentation evidencing import- and export transactions. Both infrastructures, paper and digital documents must co-exist. There will be countries being early digital adopters and others lagging. An infrastructure agnostic digital trade finance document of any type can serve all the aspects of the global digital ambition extremely well. Interoperability can be achieved on different levels and by using different tools. One of the most forceful ways of achieving interoperability is by standardisation of data definitions and data formats. Json Schemas and the trace:original document is a perfect connector to achieve digital interoperability not only between blockchain based trade finance platforms but for all trade finance platforms.

The banks’ lack of investment decisions for end-to-end digitised trade processes impacting their customers have created a large cost effect on corporations.

  • Banks additionally impose costs on their corporate customers as they lack strategic vision on operative and compliance issues. Still manual or dual processes that are partly broken and very costly for all parties
  • Banks also impose costs internally for front, middle and back-office and create compliance risks with manual or partly manual processes
  • Trade finance digitalisation is a strategic issue for a bank and its corporate customers and is undergoing rapid change
  • Many solutions and offerings to choose from but a lack of basic digital standards internally and when interacting with others
  • Cost and risk/AML issues for all parties
  • Bank’s role is to help to prioritise the trade finance short-term initiatives that will support corporate treasuries long-term objectives
  • Banks should be firm with their opinion about coherent direction and help corporates to reduce the uncertainty that comes with trade finance digitalisation.

 

Conclusion

 

 

Footnote: further detail to be found on the website: www.Enigio.com

  • Several whitepapers
  • Walkthrough gallery of (1min.) YouTube videos explaining product usage very clear
  • Modules for bank guarantees, Standby L/Cs, Prom Notes, Bills of Exchange and eB/Ls

 

Thank for reading and stay tuned!

 

Wim Kok

International Business Consultant
Trade Finance Specialist

 

 

 

 

Digital rules (URDTT) for Trade Finance: Episode 2

10-02-2022 | Wim Kok | treasuryXL | LinkedIn |

Episode 2 of our series of educational videos is now available. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Episode 1 is, of course, still available on our YouTube channel.


 

 


Trade Advisory Network Limited and treasuryXL Trade Finance experts launched their second episode of a series of free, educational videos on URDTT. There will be 6 episodes in total covering all aspects of the development, interpretation, and application of URDTT in the context of a digital trade strategy. In the upcoming months, you can expect one educational video per month.

What can you expect in the second episode?

Episode 2 of this series of videos focuses on URDTT (Uniform Rules for Digital Trade Transactions).  Subsequent episodes will focus on the use of electronic records, payment obligations and, the role of banks/non-bank financial service providers.

Duration: 11.38 min

WATCH NOW FOR FREE

Enjoy, explore and develop!

Interested to know more about this topic and the upcoming educational videos? Contact our Expert Wim Kok.

 

Wim Kok

International Business Consultant
Trade Finance Specialist

 

 

 

 

Digital rules (URDTT) for Trade Finance: What, How and When?

10-01-2022 | Wim Kok | treasuryXL | LinkedIn

 

Watch Episode 1 of a series of free, educational videos focusing on Uniform Rules for Digital Trade Transactions (URDTT)

 

 

Trade Advisory Network Limited and treasuryXL Trade Finance experts launched their first episodes of a series of free, educational videos on URDTT. There will be 6 episodes in total covering all aspects of the development, interpretation, and application of URDTT in the context of a digital trade strategy. In the upcoming 6 months you can expect one educational video per month.

What can you expect in the first episode?

This first episode focuses on the background to the decision to create a new set of rules for digital trade transactions and provides definitions of some of the most important terms. Subsequent episodes will focus on the use of electronic records, payment obligations and, the role of banks/non-bank financial service providers.

Duration: 19.20 min

WATCH NOW FOR FREE

Enjoy, explore and develop!

Interested to know more about this topic and the upcoming educational videos? Contact our Expert Wim Kok.

 

Wim Kok

International Business Consultant
Trade Finance Specialist