Risk & Compliance

The pause in rate hikes was meant to bring relief. Instead, Asia’s treasurers are confronting a new kind of uncertainty – one where FX volatility, not funding cost, is driving strategic risk decisions.

Despite a tentative US, China deal, uncertainty around tariffs has increased demand for trade finance products from Asian corporates, as firms look to reroute supply chains, derisk and improve working capital.

Adnan Zaylan Mohamad Zahid, deputy governor at the Bank Negara Malaysia, told an audience at Money 20/20 Asia that Asean is innovating with cross-border payments, QR codes, Project Nexus, sandboxes and Islamic finance.

The so-called ‘BRICS Bridge’ project may have stalled, but efforts to undermine the primacy of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency have received a boost from an unlikely source; although any path to a true alternative will be long and difficult.

The global economy is going through unprecedented times and expert panelists from Baguio Green Group, SF Reit Asset Management and HSBC discussed how to best manage the volatility.

US inflation was lower than expected in February; the 2.8% read came as the US introduced global 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports; and then the EU and Canada retaliated; in Apac, Australian and Korean steelmakers are most at risk.

The proposals to boost the Singapore Exchange include tax incentives, streamlining the listing process and efforts to incentivise investors.

A swift change in tone from US president Donald Trump around tariffs show how his words and actions are having a volatile impact on Asia Pacific's currencies; they are likely to be on the defensive this year.

HK's financial secretary is injecting HK$1.5bn into a scheme that helps Hong Kong businesses expand into mainland China, as Paul Chan predicts 2% to 3% GDP growth this year.

As the HKEX steps up climate reporting disclosures, there is insufficient reporting on Scope 3 emissions, carbon reduction targets and transition plans, according to research; a lack of resources in one of the key hurdles.

The 2025 Budget is bringing tax cuts, support for households, tax incentives for equities, more climate measures and support for AI; Singapore saw 4.4% GDP growth in 2024.

CorporateTreasurer recently caught up with Winnie Chen, head of Asia Pacific, global payments services, Bank of America, to discuss real-time payments, QR codes, cross-border transactions and more.