- Global launch of all-new digital platform to help businesses trade globally
- Fourteen partner banks to become signatories of the initial founder
- The digital platform is expected to host more than a million businesses worldwide by 2022
Financial leaders from banks around the world will convene in London today (1 October 2019) to mark the official launch of the Trade Club Alliance. The gathering of fourteen partner banks that make up the Alliance, marks the official launch of an all-new digital platform - the first of its kind - that will help businesses bolster global trade.
The new platform will help identify businesses that are looking to trade goods internationally and will provide insight on regulations and trade tariffs for the relevant countries. It will provide members with market information on more than 180 countries including currency analysis, market trends and shipping requirements, serving as a conduit for trusted buyers and suppliers to connect with counterparts in markets around the world.
The initiative was created by Santander in 2015, to connect businesses in Europe with Latin America. Following its success, the programme was rolled out worldwide and saw the formation of the Trade Club Alliance. The partner banks that make up the alliance cover some of the world’s most established and fast-growing markets, such as Africa, Latin America and South East Asia. By 2022, more than 90% of global trade corridors will be covered by the platform, helping more than a million companies worldwide.
Jon Barañano, Chairman of the Trade Club Alliance, commented: “The launch of the Trade Club Alliance marks the start of a relationship for businesses with their banks that is more than simply as a finance provider – but as a strategic business partner who guides them through the labyrinth of international trade. This transformative trade platform will strengthen existing ties and revolutionise the way businesses seek opportunities in new markets.”
John Carroll, Head of International, Santander UK, added: “There are companies around the world that feel unable to export because trade barriers are plentiful while practical export advice is sparse. This digital platform will break down obstacles for businesses around the world, thanks to the strong network of partners which have come together to form the Trade Club Alliance. We see this as the solution that businesses have been looking for, allowing them to build tangible trade links with international partners from the comfort of their own office.”
Key benefits of the Trade Club Alliance platform:
- State-of-the-art technologies: uses machine learning and cloud-based services with the best of breed social networking capabilities, comprehensive content and corporate banking advisory;
- Efficiency: helps accelerate the exchange of goods and services by uncovering ideal trade partnership opportunities and then simplifies the transaction process;
- Local support: Alliance banks’ dedicated “Experts & Community managers” teams are available to offer advice at all stages of exporting and importing activity and financing alternatives;
- Market analysis: over 25,000 market reports from 186 countries;
- Commercial partners: 2,000 directories from 150 countries, 40,000 commercial fairs, 1,000,000 international tenders;
- Manage shipments: databases for over 120 countries;
- Analyse currencies: conversions of 147 currencies and weekly and monthly reports; and
- Set up abroad: information on over 182 countries with over 2,500 pages.
This digital platform is available to trusted businesses of all sizes and will fully cover sectors including agriculture, machinery, textiles, chemicals, woods plastics and metals. Each Alliance bank is responsible for vetting businesses before they become a member, and will help oversee the admission process, actively identify and facilitate business opportunities and coordinate trade missions on the ground.
Members of the Trade Club Alliance will be assigned a Business Card, where they can provide details of their business proposition, industry and overarching goals. In addition to the digital platform offering market insight, companies can seek advice on financial products that would suit their needs from any one of the Alliance banks.
The full list of partner banks are: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Attiijariwafa Group, Banco BPM, Banco Santander, Royal Bank of Canada, CIMB, Crédit Agricole Group, Eurobank, KBC Group, Industrial Bank of Korea, MUFG, Nordea Group, Siam Commercial Bank, and Standard Bank.
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About Us
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. At 30 June 2019, the bank has around 24,000 employees. It serves around 15 million active customers, via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking; and 62 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers’ eligible deposits are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.
Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain. It has a meaningful presence in 10 core markets in Europe and the Americas, and is the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization. At the end of June 2019, Banco Santander had EUR 1.03 trillion in customer funds (deposits and mutual funds), 142 million customers, 13,000 branches and 200,000 employees. Banco Santander made underlying profit of EUR 4,045 million in the first half of 2019, an increase of 2% in constant euros compared to the same period last year.
Trade Club Alliance is a unique global network of banks aiming to make international trade simpler and better. We offer an innovative digital platform, giving SMEs and corporate clients a wealth of relevant international trade expertise, tools and services, as well as the opportunity to connect with trusted partners in new markets. This technology is matched by the human expertise we’re all individually known for. We use our knowledge of our clients’ businesses and local markets to give them the bespoke advice they need. Our partner banks currently cover over 65% of global trade corridors, representing a community of exclusive companies set to reach one million in the coming few years. And we’re still expanding – our goal is to be everywhere our clients’ businesses should be. The Trade Club Alliance’s value comes from its combination of technology, unparalleled reach and trusted relationships. It means, together, we can all play a vital strategic role in our clients’ sustainable business growth overseas.
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