Trade & Supply Chain Finance

Payment Asia's merchant network will be able to connect with PayMe, which is used widely in Hong Kong, and has a user base of over 3.3 million.

The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate to the highest level since 1995 and and said it will stop paring back its bond purchases from April 2027, amid rising energy costs and firming inflation expectations. The US Fed has held rates steady at the new chair’s first meeting.

The framework will support IDR-CNH settlement between Indonesia and Hong Kong, alongside moves to enhance Indonesia-China QR payment connectivity and CIPS access.

The cooperation includes USD and CNY settlement and transfer services in Hong Kong and mainland China.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said the decision to raise its interest rate to 8.75% is aimed at curbing inflation risks, as the Iran war keeps global oil prices elevated; the bank is also trying to increase US dollar liquidity to curb currency depreciation.

There is concern from businesses and politicians that the trade deal is harmful to many sectors, takes away flexibility, and hands the US many benefits; the government is also trying to renegotiate a multi-billion dollar loan with the IMF, which insists many reforms are needed.

The central bank said the surprise decision is a "pre-emptive" measure to keep inflation in check and to stablise the rupiah as the Iran war drags on. Exports of "strategic natural resources" will need to go through state-owned enterprises.

From the use of antibiotics, to biodiversity, to battery makers, to data centres, to shipping, the region's firms are teaming up with banks to help support a wide range of sustainability efforts with clearer targets.

The bonds will be used to stockpile bauxite, refinance debt, to invest in overseas projects, share repurchases and for general corporate purposes; the aluminium giant also issued a concurrent share repurchase.

From blocked shipping lanes to soaring raw material costs, senior company executives warn that supply chain pressures are structural, not cyclical, and the bill is heading to consumers, with long-term finance planning becoming harder.

As geopolitical shocks compress planning horizons and AI reshapes finance, Asia's finance professionals are rebuilding and reassessing their functions, said an expert panel from Henderson Land, Chai Tai Fook Enterprises and SF Supply Chain.

Despite the race to adopt AI and use fintech tools, CFOs and treasury leaders say communication, judgement and teams matter, and that career paths in finance are becoming anything but linear, said a panel at CTWeek.