Trade Finance Talks

In 2026, prices of oil, gold, wheat, beef, and other commodities hit all-time highs, fueled by the inflationary effects of the Iran war. But one global good has plummeted - cocoa. In the last year, prices have fallen 70%. An industry riddled by moral and social challenges, including child labour exploitation, carbon footprint, and deforestation, is now also under economic threat. The future of West African cocoa, in particular, being subject to smuggling, storage constraints, financing challenges, and global regulatory hurdles, is falling into question. Trade Finance Global (TFG) sat down with Dr Tedd George, CEO of Kleos Advisory and a regional and industry expert, to discuss the regulatory, financial, and ecological frameworks needed to make West African cocoa sustainable.

As sudden swings, geopolitical shifts, and the erosion of dollar-dominance reshape the market, foreign exchange (FX) — the global market for trading currencies — has become a central concern for businesses trading across borders.

Alternative lenders - non-bank entities that provide financing outside traditional banking channels - are no longer peripheral to the trade finance ecosystem. Their increased presence reflects a structural failure: banks' declining ability to lend to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Resilience in global trade has moved beyond a defensive strategy. In an era defined by tariffs, technological developments, and shifting patterns of economic growth, it is now integral to sustainable expansion and long-term competitiveness across global supply chains. In the debut episode of Trade Finance Global’s (TFG) new five-part podcast series, Future of Trade with Standard Chartered, TFG’s Mark Abrams sat down with Sofia Hammoucha, Global Head of Trade and Working Capital at Standard Chartered.

At the 2025 Sibos conference in Frankfurt, Germany, Silvia Andreoletti, Senior Reporter at Trade Finance Global (TFG), had the opportunity to speak with Ximena Alemán, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Prometeo, a Latin American payments network.

The global trade finance gap persists at around $2.5 trillion, leaving businesses - especially small-and-medium commodity traders - struggling to pay suppliers, ship goods, and keep cash flowing while they wait for buyers to pay invoices.

In a grocery store in Cape Town, Korean instant noodles and ice cups sit alongside local biltong. “The younger generation is observing on social media, and has now created a demand for, these items,” observed Zaynab Hoosen, Senior Africa Analyst at Pangea Risk, of her home town. It’s a retail revolution spurred by cultural curiosity, and it stands as a microcosm of newfound Asian investment strategies in Africa. From aid-driven investment during the mid-twentieth century to construction and development projects in the 2000s and 2010s, it appears that capital is now being deployed with the vast African consumer market and manufacturing capabilities in mind. And, with benefactors beyond China and their notorious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The energy transition appears to have been a constant back and forth between opportunities and complex regulatory and ESG challenges, and nowhere is this more pertinent than in commodity finance. Trade Finance Global (TFG) spoke with Christine Dirringer, Global Head of Trade and Commodity Finance at Rabobank, about how the industry is evolving to meet these demands.