Sept 5 (Reuters) – Citigroup is set to start up a
finance business for commodity trade to move into a void left by
a pullback from the market by major European lenders, according
to a report in The Financial Times.
European banks, including BNP Paribas and Cr (c)dit
Agricole, are scaling back their commodities financing
presence to limit their need for scarce dollars and comply with
tougher regulatory capital requirements, the report said.
Citi representatives were not immediately available for
comment to Reuters.
John Ahearn, head of global trade at Citi, told the FT that
the bank would start by financing energy deals before
considering metals and other commodities such as wheat.
It has done ad hoc deals in the past, but now intends “to
make it into a scale business,” Ahearn said.
Citi has hired Kris Van Broekhoven from Deutsche Bank to head
the new unit and is targeting more than $200 million in net
income from it within three years, the report said.
Citigroup Chief Executive Vikram Pandit has singled out
trade finance as one of the brighter spots in the bank’s
business portfolio. In comments following the release of second
quarter results, Pandit emphasized that the company had built on
its global footprint to increase its trade finance and carry
revenue for transaction services for corporations to record
levels.
Trade loans outstanding were up 53 percent at the end of June
from a year earlier, according to the company.
