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Prominent US insurer takes legal action against China Construction Bank's fraudulent reinsurance L/Cs

Porch Group, a prominent US company specialising in homeowners insurance and home inspection software, has taken legal action against China Construction Bank (CCB), accusing the financial institution of involvement in reinsurance fraud.

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New Delhi mulls L/C guarantees as banks face difficulties with Russian payments

India is contemplating extending guarantees on lenders' letters of credit (L/Cs) as New Delhi seeks ways to support trading links with Russian counterparties.

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L/Cs exempt from Nigeria's new cybercrime levy

Letters of credit (L/Cs) have been exempted from an order from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to banks in the country to begin imposing a cybersecurity levy on many types of transactions.

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March issue of Documentary Credit World

The March 2024 issue of DCW, the source for LC and Trade News & Analysis is now available under the Digital Library.

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L/C boost for burgeoning Saudi automobile sector

Data released by the Saudi Central Bank (SCB) has revealed that a significant increase in import letters of credit (L/C) helped boost Saudi Arabia's car imports in 2023 by a massive 40 per cent.

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Singapore's banks restrict L/Cs for Russian shipments

Singapore's biggest banks are apparently responding to pressure from Washington not to participate in trade financing that could be seen to be linked to transactions that evade the G7-led price cap on Russian oil or other sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to its military action in Ukraine.

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ITFC's comprehensive financing package for Cameroon to support L/Cs for SMEs

Cameroon has secured a US$800 million funding package from the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

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WeWork landlords could swap L/Cs for equity in proposed bankruptcy restructuring agreement

Landlords of WeWork with letters of credit (L/Cs) to guarantee that funds would be available to pay rent even if the now collapsed workspace provider faced financial difficulties may be able to swap their debt holdings for shares in the newly restructured company.

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IMF counts the cost of Egypt's L/C policy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been counting the cost of Egypt's controversial policy over the last two years to significantly limit the availability letters of credit (L/C) as a measure to control the country's balance of payments and manage foreign exchange reserves.

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New Opinions from the ICC Banking Commission

The latest ICC Opinions from the Banking Commission Meeting held in April 2024 are now available under the Trade Finance Channel of the Digital Library:

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L/C difficulties may be behind oil cargo stranded outside Dangote's new super-refinery

Difficulties experienced by Nigeria's new Dangote Oil Refinery in securing a letter of credit (L/C) may have left a shipment of US crude oil stranded offshore Nigeria for over a month.

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Partial shut downs at Pakistan's vehicle plants may lengthen if SBP fails to process L/Cs

Toyota and Suzuki will partially shut down vehicle assembly operations in Pakistan next month due to raw material shortages, supply chain disruption, exchange rate volatility and curbs on the letters of credit (L/Cs) they need to import materials.

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Doha Bank reveals Qatar's L/C support for Bangladesh

The CEO of Doha Bank has revealed that the Qatari bank has extended support to banks in Bangladesh to help them finance imports of essential goods on letter of credit (L/C) terms.

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Azerbaijan's TuranBank joins ADB's L/C supportive and growing trade finance network

Azerbaijan's TuranBank last week announced it had become the latest bank to enter into an agreement to finance international trade operations with the Asian Development Bank's (ADB's) Trade and Supply Chain Financing Programme (TSCFP).

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IFC and DBS launch US$500 million facility to support L/Cs and promote trade flows in emerging markets

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Singapore-based DBS have signed a US$500 million facility under the IFC's Global Trade Liquidity Programme (GTLP).

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February issue of Documentary Credit World

The February 2024 issue of DCW, the source for LC and Trade News & Analysis is now available under the Digital Library.

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Court to decide whether Trump's bond is good enough without L/C backing

Donald Trump has posted a reduced-rate US$175 million civil fraud bond that his lawyers maintain will secure potential damages should the former US president lose his appeal challenging a judge's finding that he lied about his wealth as he grew the real estate empire.

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Genesis Global launches credit insurance application for L/Cs, guarantees and a range of banking activities

A new solution to automate bank processes for offsetting credit risk in lending and financing businesses has been launched by Genesis Global.

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Afreximbank resolute in providing L/Cs for controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is finalising a US$200 million funding plan that includes letters of credit (L/Cs) and guarantees to support the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), according to Denys Denya, the bank's senior executive vice president for finance, administration and banking.

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January issue of Documentary Credit World

The January 2024 issue of DCW, the source for LC and Trade News & Analysis is now available under the Digital Library.

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Standby L/Cs exempted from Nigeria's ban on foreign capital collateral for naira loans

Standby letters of credit (L/Cs) are excepted from a new notice issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that bans the country's commercial banks from accepting foreign currency as collateral for naira loans.

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RBZ refuses to issue L/C to facilitate Indian business mogul's ambitions in Zimbabwe

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has scuppered an Indian businessman's plans to create a large-scale sugarcane ethanol production plant in Zimbabwe by refusing to issue a letter of credit (L/C) in support of the project.

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Oil marketers securing L/Cs to buy from Nigeria's new landmark oil refinery

Oil marketers in Nigeria are in the process of securing letters of credit (L/Cs) to buy petroleum products from the newly constructed Dangote Oil Refinery.

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South Korea and Poland move to facilitate L/C flows as business links deepen

South Korean commercial and state-run banks are looking at opportunities to forge deeper and closer ties with Poland, including establishing banking relationships to facilitate letter of credit (L/C) flows to support trade between the two countries.

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Questions raised over banks' L/C procedures and misuse of SWIFT in US$2 billion PNB fraud

The US$2 billion letter of credit (L/C) and letter of undertaking (LoU) fraud at Punjab National Bank (PNB) has raised questions about the auditing and regulatory oversight of India's banks according to Reuters.

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Latest Digital Commercialisation Briefings

Just published - two more Digital Commercialisation Briefings from the ICC Banking Commission.

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IFC to support Burundi's BCB to boost L/C volumes and stimulate small business growth

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Burundi's Banque de Crédit de Bujumbura (BCB) have announced a partnership to boost trade and growth by expanding access to financing for thousands of micro-businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country, including informal businesses.

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Joining EBRD's TFP will help Ukraine's largest bank sustain its L/C business

Ukraine's largest bank, Privatbank has joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD's) Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP), which provides guarantees to international commercial banks, thereby covering the political and commercial payment risk of transactions undertaken by partner banks in the EBRD regions.

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Trump provides no reason for failure to obtain L/C for surety bond

Donald Trump has claimed he has been unable to secure a bond - possibly secured by a letter of credit (L/C) or real estate - that he would need to avoid or delay paying the US$464 million the former US president has been ordered to pay by courts in potential damages and fines resulting from his civil trials over the last year (DC World News, 11 March 2024).

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Latest Technical Advisory Briefing

Just published - Technical Advisory Briefing from the ICC Banking Commission.

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AfDB agrees US$15 million trade finance transaction guarantee for NMB Bank Zimbabwe

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is continuing its drive to sign African banks up to its support facilities for letters of credit (L/Cs) by agreeing a US$15 million trade finance transaction guarantee facility with NMB Bank Zimbabwe (NMB).

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BCGE fails to pin blame on shipowner for oil trade non-payment, criticised for poor L/C management

Banque Cantonale de Genève (BCGE) has failed in its attempts to pin the blame for non-payment related to the collapse of oil trader Gulf Petrochem on a shipowner who permitted the alteration of a set of bills of lading.

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RA Investments announces standby L/C provision and monetisation offerings

RA Investment has announced a comprehensive suite of trade finance services that includes the provision of standby letters of credit (L/Cs) and bank guarantees and a standby L/C monetisation offering.

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Apple revises L/C requirement for other companies to launch app stores on iPhones

Apple has revised its rules for developers wanting to launch app stores on iPhones in the EU, a move the reluctant tech giant has been forced to do by European legislation which came into force last week and which is intended to break Apple's market monopoly.

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Moscow and Tehran maintain pressure for BRICS alternative to SWIFT

Russia and Iran are keeping up the pressure for the BRICS bloc to establish an alternative to the SWIFT payment system and create a trading mechanism that would allow the group of large emerging economies to use currencies other than the US dollar.

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L/Cs could help Trump through appeal process

Letters of credit (L/C) could help Donald Trump avoid or delay paying the US$540 million the former US president has been ordered to pay by courts in potential damages and fines resulting from his civil trials over the last year. If he fails to pay by 25 March, New York's attorney general says Trump could see his assets being seized.

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L/Cs continue to support expansion of insurance facility to keep Ukraine's exports flowing

Letters of credit (L/C) are again a key component in a major expansion of the Unity insurance facility developed by global insurer Marsh McLennan, the Ukrainian government and Lloyd's of London.

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Import L/C openings in Bangladesh hit a 16-month high

Letter of credit (L/C) openings for imports into Bangladesh hit a 16-month high in January, despite the country's severe dollar crisis according to Bangladesh Bank data.

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Nordea Bank's new working capital solution to benefit documentary or open account trading

A new working capital solution from Nordea Bank has been developed to help companies to bridge gaps in the trade cycle by extending credit from the production or purchase of goods to the final sale.

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AfDB extends trade finance guarantee to Access Bank in Democratic Republic of Congo

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a US$7 million trade finance guarantee facility to Access Bank in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

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