Trade & Commodities Finance

With dedicated teams of trade finance lawyers globally, we combine our sector expertise across fields such as energy and utilities, natural resources and agribusiness, with a wealth of experience in the full range of financing products offered to traders, exporters and producers.

We support a broad spectrum of participants in the commodities market: from the world’s largest traders to global investment and development banks, specialised funds and other financial institutions. We are actively following and advising on the fintech developments that are affecting and improving trade finance.

Our service offering  

Our multidisciplinary dual qualified specialist team in South Africa, supported by over 85 offices globally and a long-established Best Friend network of firms in other African countries, has a proven track record in providing advice across all aspects of trade and commodities financing.

Whether you are doing an innovative, highly structured transaction, such as receivables-based financings, export and multilateral credits or commodity-based financings, we will be able to provide tailored advice both in South Africa and elsewhere.

Examples of areas on which we regularly advise are:

• borrowing base lending  
• commodities repo transactions
• credit insurance and guarantees
• export credit facilities
• immunity, sanctions and other sovereign issues
• instruments such as letters of credit, performance bonds and bills of exchange
• prepayment, borrowing base and reserve base facilities
• security over receivables, goods and documents of title
• sub-participation facilities
• supply chain financing
• trade and foreign exchange regulations
• trading contracts 
• transport and storage contracts
• true sale of receivables and goods