If traditional industries are the ground troops in the looming conflict, cross-border e-commerce platform Youkeshu is China’s militia. Its CFO talks trade warfare, hedging strategy and bank relationships.
It's like nothing China's treasurers have seen in the past 10 years; a toxic combination of defaults, US rate hikes, a downturn at home, regulatory interference and trade tensions are killing bond issuance.
A 20% reserve requirement set by Chinese regulators on dollar/Rmb forward contracts has an instant impact. As predicted, futures contracts are moving offshore.
Treasurers tell CT what a return to the reserve requirement on forward trading – which puts the brakes on renminbi-US dollar forwards – will mean for their operations.
Fearing China's currency could plunge to Rmb7 or Rmb7.50 to the dollar, a treasurer hedged mammoth debts while staying in line with the principles of IFRS9.
A 7% slump in the renminbi's value as the winds of trade war blow has an unwanted consequence: 2016-style capital controls and difficulty in withdrawing money from the country.
China has been pushing for more Panda issuance, and a Hong Kong-listed water supply company has delivered despite not holding the top credit rating. It explains how and why.