Notes from the SSLT Global desk
Short, working notes on trade finance, customs, logistics and commodities. Written for practitioners, not marketing.
- Trade finance fraud: the eight red flags that catch most scams before they cost you
From leased SBLCs and fake allocations to BEC payment redirection, a practitioner's guide to spotting trade finance and commodity fraud before you sign, ship, or pay.
- Five Letter of Credit cost mistakes that quietly erode margin
Confirmation fees, discrepancy charges, and reimbursement clauses are where LC deals leak money. Here is how to price them upfront.
- CBAM 2026: an eight-point readiness checklist for importers
The definitive period is live. Here is what EU importers of steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity need in place before the next quarterly filing.
- Incoterms 2020: a five-question decision tree
Stop defaulting to CIF. A simple decision tree that maps risk transfer, freight control, and insurance to the right Incoterm.
- Petroleum coke 2026: an anode-grade vs fuel-grade primer
Sulphur, HGI and calcined vs green coke - the specs that decide whether a petcoke cargo lands in aluminium smelters or cement kilns.
- Duty drawback quickstart: unlocking cash you already paid
Manufacturers who export within a set window are often owed refunds on the import duty they paid on inputs. Here is the fastest path to filing.