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Articles
2023

ICC Opinions – new and coming

In January 2023, the ICC held the first ICC Opinions Session in 2023. The meeting was held virtually and had 3 new Draft Opinions to be discussed:
Articles
2023

UCP and Standbys

Standby LCs mimic independent guarantees and were mainly issued by US banks predominantly during the time when issuance of guarantees seldom occurred in the US. Although US banks were never prohibited from issuing independent guarantees, in 1996 the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency1 expressly permitted them to do so.
Articles
2023

Draft ICC Opinions for the October 2023 Banking Commission Meeting

Beginning September Last week, the ICC circulated 4 New Draft Opinions (TA9321-934), that will be discussed at the October 2023 Banking Commission meeting (held virtually and in Paris).
Articles
2024

A closer look into the ICC eRules

Delve into the recent updates to the ICC eRules, featuring insights from ICC Senior Technical Advisor David Meynell on their development, usage, and the broader industry initiatives supporting their adoption.
News
2023

News from the Trade World: Next ICC Global Banking Commission Meeting and more

Next ICC Global Banking Commission Meeting, Release of Technical Advisory Briefing No. 6 Subject: ICC Guidance Papers, ISBP 745 review – alignment with ICC Opinions
News
2023

News from the Trade World: Including ICC Banking Commission Updates

Updated TORs technical advisorsand call for interest, Next ICC Global Banking Commission Meeting, ICC Banking Commission Updates, ICC 2023 Trade Register, ICC Financial Crimes and Riskspolicy taskforce final draft papers – Dual use goods & Price checking, WolfsbergGroup publishes guidance for financial institutions to prevent and protectagainst bribery andcorruption
News
2023

News from the Trade World: ICC and UK Electronic Trade Documents Act

Next ICC Global Banking Commission Meeting and UK Electronic Trade Documents Act
Articles
2023

Financial Crime Risk Controls - How to effectively manage the challenge of goods’ price checking in trade transactions by Financial Institutions(“FIs”) in light of recent ICC paper of 2023 on this subject

At the outset, well deserving complements to ICC for their continued efforts in bringing industry-wide perspective to Financial Crime Risk Controls through their working papers.
Articles
2023

Letters of Credit: multimodality or portuality?

Exactly 75 years have passed since Malcolm McLean invented the container, but international traders still haven't noticed!
2023

Discussion Corner: UCP 600 Sub-article 6(a)

The country editors have been discussing the following issue. The below answers are excerpts of the discussion.
Articles
2023

Title of the Invoice

Almost all documents presented under documentary credits bear a "title". This "title" may be exactly the same title as required by the L/C or a "similar”title. Sometimes, documents are also "untitled". ISBP 821 encompasses all the eventualities in paragraph A39: 
Articles
2023

ICC opinion ta927rev withdrawn – a personal perspective

As we have mentioned previously, whilst majority support was communicated in favour of the content of the draft Opinion, an alternate minority viewpoint was also expressed.
Articles
2023

The journey through Draft ICC Opinion TA927

During 3 ICC Banking Commission Meetings, Draft ICC Opinion TA927 has been on the agenda. The “case” is now closed – by the withdrawl of the Draft Opinion. However, the issue has not been solved. The purpose of this blog post is threefold: 1) To provide the background and explain the issue of TA927, 2) to provide a personal perspective of TA927 and finally 2) to offer some thoughts and reflection on how to solve the issue going forward.
2023

Discussion Corner

B/L to the order of the issuing bank A discussion amongst the country editors. The country editors have been discussing the following issue. The below answers are excerpts of the discussion.
2023

Discussion Corner

A discussion amongst the country editors. The country editors have been discussing the following issue. The below answers are excerpts of the discussion.
Articles
2023

Special Character of Australian Demand Guarantee Cases

There are many demand guarantee cases decided by Australian courts related to unconscionability. Some Australian courts have given judicial recognition to the concept of unconscionability and granted injunction on the basis of the unconscionable conduct under demand guarantees. The notion of unconscionability is vague and would be in the lack of certainty. It is my opinion that the unconscionability exception would have negative effect on the credibility of Australian demand guarantees and therefore the unconscionability doctrine deserves careful discussions.
Articles
2023

ICC Banking Commission Meeting 18 April 2023

18 April 2023 the ICC held their Global Banking Commission meeting. The main content of the meeting was the second Opinion session of the year. Prior to the meeting the slides with the suggested changes for the two Draft Opinions to be revised and finalized were circulated to the National Committees.
Articles
2023

Different documents, different risks

This article is published with kind permission from the ICC International Maritime Bureau. It is reproduced from the IMB Confidential Bulletin (issue 11, 01 June 2023), regularly sent to members.
Articles
2023

Sanctions clauses – It’s a Jungle Out There - part 2

In April this year the ICC Banking Commission circulated a new approved ICC Opinion. The reference of the Opinion is 470/TA930rev.
Articles
2023

Letter of Credit: How to prepare a Multimodal Transport Document?

UCP 600 article 2 indicates that a “Complying presentation” means a presentation that is in accordance with the terms and conditions of the credit, the applicable provisions of these rules and International Standard Banking Practice. To obtain the expected services from the bank, the beneficiary of a documentary credit must therefore prepare the documents required by the L/C respecting - hierarchically - the L/C conditions, the provisions envisaged by UCP 600 and by the international standard banking practice partially codified in the ICC publication ISBP 745. Below, we will analyse how to prepare a “Transport Document Covering at Least Two Different Modes of Transport” (also known as a multimodal or combined transport document) in compliance with the conditions of the L/C and the above-mentioned provisions.
Articles
2023

Why a promising Trade Finance related business innovation failed, a case study

In this article, Jean-Francois Tapprest and Urban Ljungblom analyse the ups and downs of we.trade, a digital platform that could have transformed the way Trade Finance is done.
Articles
2023

Revisiting the Roots of the Global Financial Crisis

Should a lunatic run the asylum, a poacher become the gamekeeper or a regulator switch loyalties at will? The answer may appear obvious, but the reality could be different. Let us find out.
Articles
2023

K8 vs. 14(g)

The title of this article may seem enigmatic, but sometimes things are not as simple as they may seem. ICC rules for sure are not – as they are subject to interpretations and each party read them in the most favourable manner – for them.
Articles
2020

New Clauses and Workarounds due to covid-19

Of course, the covid-19 crisis has impacted Trade Finance in different ways. The forwarding of documents has been disrupted – hence delays and increased risk of documents lost in transit. The transit times of the goods has increased.