Mercuria returned to the Asian loan market for its annual revolver at the end of last year. But this time round the trader upsized the facility by nearly twice the debt volume - albeit with a small 'Covid premium'.

What will be the key words for financing trade this year? If last year was all about resilience and pivoting will this year be picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and starting all over again. Realisation, focus, rebuilding (and muddling through) are the watchwords. And how best to engage the elusive SME in international trade remains a big concern for 2022.

1 February 2022, 14:00 GMT. Register now for this exclusive virtual roundtable discussion where a panel of regulators and financiers look at practical solutions for overcoming pressure points for UK exporters.

The multi-currency financing for the Canal Sugar Project, a scheme that combines land reclamation for a farm roughly three times the size of Luxembourg with a beet factory in Egypt, has combined ECA, DFI and commercial bank debt via a first in the Egyptian project loan market - an innovative use of on-lending facilities.

Smile Telecoms is arranging its second restructuring plan to avoid insolvency. But senior lenders to the group, including African Export-Import Bank, could be wiped out this time round, according to sources.