According to www.gtreview.com, senior trade bankers from Bank of America, JPMorgan, Citi, Scotiabank, Standard Chartered, BNY, Santander, US Bank, and others convened at a Global Trade Review (GTR) roundtable in New York in December 2025 to assess how trade and working capital finance is adapting to the AI and data centre infrastructure surge — and the concurrent supply chain reset across North America.
Financing the AI Infrastructure Surge
The roundtable highlighted a structural acceleration in investment tied to AI-driven infrastructure, clean energy, semiconductors, and critical minerals. Jonathan Richman, head of US trade finance and working capital sales at Santander, noted that the scale-up demands for data centres and chips have elevated supply chain management from an operational concern to a strategic corporate priority. This has expanded demand for traditional instruments — letters of credit, supply chain finance, receivables finance — alongside newer tools including inventory finance and contract monetisation. Richman stressed the financing gap between highly creditworthy offtakers and less-established suppliers, positioning trade banks as essential bridges:
“We are also seeing a need for more flexible, newer solutions like inventory finance to secure those vital supplies and to have buffer stock that didn’t exist before, especially for chips.” — Jonathan Richman, head of US trade finance and working capital sales, Santander
Supply Chain Restructuring in Real Time
Geopolitical recalibration is reshaping sourcing patterns. Heather Crowley, global head of trade and working capital product at JPMorgan, confirmed that re-shoring and ally-shoring are now dominant themes — not just cost-driven but resilience-motivated. Dyanne Carenza, head of trade finance at Scotiabank, cited empirical shifts: Mexico has overtaken China as the US’s largest trading partner, a change accelerated by tariff anticipation and regional trade agreements. She added:
“Our clients are willing to pay a little bit more, and perhaps lower their margins, because they want that trusted network and they want to solidify supplier relationships so they can source and provide the end product to their clients.” — Dyanne Carenza, head of trade finance, global business payments and global banking, Scotiabank
Antonio Federico of Citi observed that global trade corridor volumes have doubled over the past five years, reflecting deep structural realignment — prompting clients to seek integrated banking partnerships spanning liquidity, FX, payments, and trade.
Converging Finance Disciplines
The AI data centre build-out is blurring lines between trade finance and project finance. João Galvão of Standard Chartered emphasized internal reorganisation: banks are aligning power, energy, water, and real estate finance teams to deliver end-to-end capital solutions. With large tech firms accelerating US-based data centre construction — funded increasingly by private capital alongside banks — distribution, structuring, and origination units must coordinate tightly. As Galvão stated, client expectation is no longer for fragmented services but for one single financial solution. Geoff Brady of Bank of America, who chaired the session, underscored that this convergence reflects a broader market shift toward holistic liquidity and risk management — transcending traditional product silos.
Practical Implications for Supply Chain Professionals
For global supply chain professionals, these developments signal three immediate priorities: First, reassess working capital structures to incorporate inventory finance and contract monetisation — particularly for critical inputs like semiconductors and battery-grade minerals. Second, treat trade finance partners as strategic enablers of nearshoring and multi-tier supplier onboarding, not just transaction processors. Third, expect heightened coordination between treasury, procurement, and sustainability teams as ESG-linked financing (e.g., green data centre loans) gains traction. With USMCA facilitating trilateral flows among the US, Canada, and Mexico, supply chain visibility tools and digitised trade documentation are no longer optional — they’re prerequisites for accessing new liquidity products. The rise in cross-border volume also intensifies scrutiny on regulatory compliance, especially around critical minerals reporting under the US Inflation Reduction Act and EU CBAM-aligned frameworks.
Source: www.gtreview.com
This article was AI-assisted and reviewed by our editorial team.
