London, 29 September 2016 – Practitioners of trade facilitation programs have historically viewed trade finance as outside the scope of their practices. But small and midsize enterprises in particular identify lack of adequate financing as a major obstacle to additional opportunities in international markets. Does this gap between trade facilitation and trade financing (including both traditional trade finance and supply chain finance) represent a missed opportunity to impact international trade development?

This report, written in collaboration with the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), articulates the linkages and complementary nature of trade facilitation activity and trade finance. The report’s findings are the result of a joint working group effort that leveraged the conclusions of the Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum 2013 through various project iterations and consultations with key stakeholders. It is co-authored by OPUS Advisory Services International Inc. president Alexander R. Malaket, Aite Group senior analyst Enrico Camerinelli, and independent consultant Peter Potgieser, with a forward by Harm Jan van Burg of UN/CEFACT.

This 26-page Impact Report contains six figures and one table. It is available to the public and can be downloaded by clicking the button below. Clients of Aite Group's Wholesale Banking & Payments service can download the Executive Impact Deck.