Trade finance resilience and low credit risk persist amid global challenges, confirms ICC 

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), along with partners Global Credit Data (GCD) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), has released its 2024 Trade Register Report, reaffirming the resilience of trade finance instruments and the continued low credit risk across products despite ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges . 

The 2024 report confirms that trade, supply chain and export finance continue to exhibit low risk, with default rates remaining low across all regions and asset classes overall. When defaults do occur, they are generally idiosyncratic, stemming from well-known commercial, geopolitical or macroeconomic factors. As global trade faces ongoing geopolitical and economic pressures, these financial products continue to serve as vital tools for mitigating risk and maintaining liquidity, supporting the stability of trade flows. 

The ICC Trade Register remains the leading, authoritative global source on credit risk and broader market dynamics in trade and supply chain finance. Its data set represents nearly a quarter of all global trade finance transactions. This 2024 edition includes extended market insights and data on global trade and trade finance. New features include insights from ICC and BCG’s practitioner survey on key trends and opportunities in trade and supply chain finance as well as a comprehensive data pack with analysis on credit risk in trade finance, available for member banks or for separate purchase through ICC.  

This year, ICC and GCD demonstrated the value of high-quality, representative data in shaping trade finance regulations through their contributions to emerging regulation on Basel III capital treatment. Krishan Ramadurai, outgoing Chair of the ICC Trade Register Project, encourages more banks to participate in the project and says that more data will only reinforce the point that trade finance is a low default asset class.  

The ICC Trade Register continues to look beyond credit risk, with detailed analysis on market trends and competitive dynamics across the trade and supply chain finance market.  

Ravi Hanspal, Partner at BCG, said: 

“Despite ongoing headwinds, we are seeing the trade and supply chain finance market continue to evolve rapidly. Banks are observing that customers are now prioritising leading service and digital capabilities more than ever, driving a step-change in investment by banks in technology to accelerate seamless trade.” 

Marilyn Blattner-Hoyle, Global Head of Trade Finance and Working Capital Solutions at Swiss Reinsurance Company, said:  

“ICC’s Trade Register and its deep data over many cycles is perhaps the most critical publication in the trade industry. The Register’s role in sharing quantitative and qualitative statistics underpins the power of trade as well as the stability of trade-related credit risks. It helps us to get comfortable insuring more trade with our bank clients, thus making trade and the world more resilient together. We use the Register in our actuarial assessments as well as our internal/external advocacy. We are proud to be the first insurance sponsor of the publication, affirming the important role of insurance in the global trade ecosystem.” 

Christian Hausherr, Product Manager for SCF at Deutsche Bank and member of ICC Trade Register Steering Committee, said:  

“In its thirteenth year after being established, the ICC Trade Register proves its relevance and importance to the trade finance community. Since then, the data approach as well as the scope of the Trade Register have been materially enhanced by the team managing the publication process on an annual basis. As of today, the Trade Register offers unique insights not only into trade finance risk, but also provides valuable macro-economic insights to its readers.” 

ICC Policy Manager Tomasch Kubiak thanks member banks for their ongoing contributions.

“ICC is very appreciative of all the efforts member banks are putting in yet again for an enhanced version of the ICC Trade Register. This year’s project provides a full insight into meaningful trends in global trade finance as well as complete data collected from our members, which is now available on demand,”  

he said.

Read or purchase the full ICC Trade Register Report.