CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE – Sean Edwards, ITFA Chairman, June 2025

Dear Members,

As we close out another productive first half of the year, I am filled with gratitude, and sometimes amazement, for the passion, innovation, and community spirit that continue to define ITFA across all regions. This month’s updates are especially exciting, showcasing the energy from recent regional gatherings and offering insights into key themes shaping our industry.

Let me start with a summary of the key topics discussed during the Virtual ITFA AGM held earlier this month. For those of you who were unable to join us, you can click here to view the recording. The session was well attended and covered several important formal matters, including the approval of the minutes from the 24th AGM held on 24th June 2024, the approval of the 2024 financial statements and auditors’ reports, and the discharge to the Board. Members also confirmed the reappointment of our auditors for 2025 and voted in the Board elections, where I was honoured to be successfully re-elected as Chairman of ITFA. Thank you for the vote of confidence in me.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all main delegates who made time in their busy schedules to review the materials and cast their votes. Your engagement is essential to the continued transparency, accountability, and strength of our Association.

Spending on defence and military goods has become an area of increased focus for banks and others in an era of increased geopolitical risk as hostilities, war and near-war incidents increase. A small part of this is dealing with the compliance risks and we have therefore launched our paper on “The Conquest of Military Dual-Use Goods Detection in Trade Finance” available to members.

Looking ahead, we are excited to bring back ITFA Week this July, following the enthusiastic response to last year’s edition. This year’s programme launches on Monday, 8th July, with the Financial Crime Compliance Initiative (FCCi) in-person Seminar in London being held in the morning and which will focus on how advanced data and technology-driven approaches are transforming financial crime compliance in trade finance.  This will be followed by the Credit Risk Insurance: ITFA Educational Seminar, hosted by the ITFA Insurance Committee, taking place both in person and online in the afternoon. Both seminars will generously be hosted by BPL.

On Tuesday, 9th July, we continue the momentum at A&O Shearman offices, with Part 1 of our Educational Seminar, where attendees will have a unique and valuable learning opportunity, being the only programme of its type to be taught solely by current practitioners, including ITFA Board members and which will cover a broad range of trade and supply chain finance topics. Later that day, we invite you to join us for one of the highlights of our summer calendar—the ITFA NERC Annual Summer Seminar and Reception. Click here for full event details.

The programme resumes on Wednesday, 10th July, with Part 2 of the Educational Seminar, delving deeper into advanced trade finance topics. The afternoon will feature the ITFA DNI Seminar – Progressing MLETR Adoption with Corporates in a Scalable Way, where this origination-focused seminar will showcase real-world use cases where corporates, banks, non-bank lenders, and tech vendors are adopting MLETR-compatible legal frameworks and technologies. We would like to thank A&O Shearman for hosting ITFA.

Looking ahead, all eyes are now on our 51st Annual Conference, the cornerstone of the ITFA calendar. Registrations are already flowing in nicely, so we strongly encourage you to secure your place as early as possible to avoid missing out. More details can be found here.

We also take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to our sponsors. This year, we are proud to celebrate many sponsors, a testament to the continued trust and recognition ITFA receives from across the industry. If you or your organisation would like to be part of this flagship event as a sponsor, click here for more information or reach out to us at info@itfa.org.

In the month’s newsletter, we begin with a look at the excellent ITFA Americas Annual Conference, which took place in Miami on June 4. With over 160 delegates in attendance, this 3-day event demonstrated the strength and enthusiasm of our Americas community. From lively panel discussions to memorable networking moments, it was a testament to the region’s commitment to collaboration and excellence.  Also, in this edition of ITFA News, we highlight the ongoing efforts of our Insurance Committee, with two timely articles contributed by Rebecca Spong. The article ITFA Insurance Committee Set Out its Ambitions and Values” speaks about the Committees achievements over the last 12 months as well as setting the course for the coming year, as shared during the Zurich awards event held earlier this month (see here for the winners and congratulations to all who took part), while the article ITFA Keeps Pressure on Regulators to Change Credit Risk Insurance Stance sheds light on ongoing regulatory pressure to change how credit insurance is treated under capital requirements, a theme that continues to generate broad industry interest.  In Africa, the ITFA African Regional Committee (ARC) has been particularly active, hosting key events in Lagos and Nairobi. These efforts, captured in a piece by ARC Secretariat Tedd George, reflect ITFA’s growing footprint and commitment to deeper engagement across the continent. Lastly, Pete Kienlen, Sales Director of newly enrolled ITFA Member Raistone, contributed a very interesting article on how to enhance your cash position by deferring duty payments.  

As always, we encourage you to explore the Voices of Our Regions section for global insights. This month, we proudly highlight the vibrant activity of our regional committees. In the Americas, nearly 50 professionals attended a Global Economic Outlook Briefing in Toronto, followed by the launch of a new local chapter in Los Angeles with a panel on supply chain finance. In Paris, the inaugural ITFA SERC Conference hosted by Crédit Agricole CIB drew over 115 participants and featured a dynamic agenda on macroeconomic trends and inventory finance. In the Dominican Republic, our Latin America Cocktail Reception marked a meaningful step in building a regional member community. Meanwhile, in Singapore, the SEARC Committee held a timely event on ASEAN trade tariffs, hosted by Swiss Re and featuring speakers from major banks. These initiatives reflect ITFA’s continued commitment to regional engagement and industry thought leadership.

I invite you to explore this edition of our newsletter, where you will find plenty of exciting updates, future event highlights, and ways to get more involved in our community. We truly value your input, so please do not hesitate to share your thoughts.  Your engagement plays a vital role in guiding the future of our Association.

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn for instant updates on upcoming events.

Happy summer!