Does an uptick in arms trade imports and exports and a rise in rhetorical weaponised language around trade point to a riskier trade credit insurance environment in 2018-19? In the latest episode of TXF’s Risky Business podcast series, a panel of insurance underwriters and risk experts outline their key global risk trends.

High crude oil prices look set to continue despite efforts to increase production. At the same time, argues Jonathan Bell, we are seeing a greater strategic use of crude.

Innovative sale and security structures have attracted a new breed of private equity-backed buyers into North Sea oil assets being sold off by the majors. And as the M&A opportunities increase, strong appetite from an increasingly diversified lender pool is also emerging.

With the new trade agreement between the US and Canada, a revised NAFTA, and the passing of the BUILD Act in the US, Jonathan Bell asks if we are finally beginning to see some positives on trade from the politicians?

Robert Frank, global head for insurance and risk mitigation at Gerald Metals, spoke to TXF about the CPRI market, the digitisation myth and how having multiple brokers keeps them on their toes.