Blades International, Inc.

The Greater Houston Port Bureau would like to thank our guest speaker Amb. Juan B. Sosa, President of U.S.-Panama Business Council at our July Commerce Club. He provided the history of Texas and Panama relationship, continued collaboration between Texas and Panama, and how the future will be bright working together. Thank you to annual sponsors: CALLAN MARINE LTD, #TGSCedarPort, Enterprise Products, Houston Pilots, Intercontinental Terminals Company, LLC, Chevron, Kirby Kinder Morgan, Inc. Moran Shipping Agencies, PEMEX, #PortTerminalRailroadAssociation, Shell, Targa Resources, WGMA, #myportisbetterthanyours #maritime #Houstonport #panama #Freetrade #ambassador #myportisbetterthanyours Darren Shelton 🚢 WIMOs Association San Jacinto College Texas A&M University Galveston Campus Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business Photo: Eric M. Carrero, USCG CAPT, Ret/GHPB, John Sullivan/Callan Marine, J. Andrew Black/Moran Shipping Agencies, CAPT Keith M. Donohue Donohue, Sector Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston, Ambassador Juan Sosa, Marcia Faschingbauer/Excargo Services, Captain Clint Winegar/Houston Pilots, and Bob Blades/Blades International, Inc. International.

Watch Grant Johnston of BII share his testimonial on Foreign Exchange Rate Integrity®. https://lnkd.in/gfdh82RC

We're #hiring! We are currently providing internship and work experience opportunities for Undergraduate Students. If you or someone you know is studying Finance/International Business or is simply looking to gain experience in this industry, see our job post below or email [email protected] for more info. Apply today or share with your network!

While transparency is growing, the FX market is still inefficient not only for hedging activity (as highlighted here) but for foreign exchange spot transactions as well. A corporate client's FX spot and forward activity is often subject to high markups, sometimes as high as 3% (or what we call, the "Airport Rate"). Corporates may be unaware of their markups or may feel there is no room for negotiation. We argue, however, that corporate clients are wise to pursue pricing transparency from their FX provider and, if necessary, negotiate for lower FX markups. Foreign Exchange Rate Integrity delivers FX price integrity and transparency by helping corporates identify their true FX costs, negotiate for lower markups, and become more efficient in their FX payment strategies. Interested in learning your true FX costs and identifying potential savings? Visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gNu9krYv or email [email protected]

On this week's BII Bulletin, we highlight an article from Finextra which discusses the results of a recent Economic Impact report which indicates that banks are looking to acquire stake in FinTechs in an effort to compete with "Big Tech". We provide our insights on how the impact of technology in finance, specifically payments, is changing consumer behavior and expectations. As a result, banks and traditional financial services will need to adapt, inevitably impacting how banks charge for services, markups, fees, etc.. Read the full FinExtra Article: https://lnkd.in/dSUJNKcs Learn more about FX Rate Integrity: https://lnkd.in/dpCu6mi

This week we share our BII Insights on FX Thresholds. Specifically, the benefits of implementing FX Thresholds for Secondary (or "Nuisance") Payments in combination with a pre-agreed FX Markup Arrangement. We also share how third-party compliance audit services, like Foreign Exchange Rate Integrity®, can help manage those FX Thresholds and maintain markup arrangements. To learn more about saving on FX Payments with FX Rate Integrity®, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gNu9krYv Or email, [email protected] for more information

Foreign Exchange Data Integrity is key to empowering FX market participants with the ability to analyze their FX market costs and identify cost saving opportunities. What do we mean by "Data Integrity"? The ability for corporate FX market participants to have access to their historical FX transaction data, complete with quality time stamps. Data can highlight inefficiencies in FX pricing and associated transaction costs and are critical to negotiating lower FX markup arrangements. The point of these negotiations is to establish a custom, fair and competitive FX arrangement while fostering and preserving a strong Client-Provider relationship. Furthermore, increased data integrity leads to increased FX market transparency, which is all a part of the inevitable "come down" of FX markups. Learn more about negotiating lower FX markups with Foreign Exchange Rate Integrity®: https://lnkd.in/dpCu6mi

FX providers often charge what they deem the market is and what the client will bear which results in clients paying higher markups until a fair pricing method is addressed. Additionally, the size, currencies, market, and method of trading all affect the markup of an FX transaction. The Borland Curve takes these factors into consideration when identifying fair FX markup pricing for corporate clients. Our Foreign Exchange Rate Integrity service references the Borland Curve when helping clients better understand the value of their FX flows and how that translates to better markups. We are happy to see FX providers, like Monex USA, begin to consider our Borland Curve when identifying what a fair markup arrangement looks like. Check out a clip from their recent presentation, which gives a shout-out to our Borland Curve! Learn more about the Borland Curve: https://lnkd.in/gVMmhv-q Visit our website to learn more about FXRI: https://lnkd.in/gNu9krYv #FX #fxmarket #costanalysis

This week on our BII Bulletin, we highlight an article from Bloomberg News which talks about a major bank's recent appointment of their new global head of FX trading. See our highlights from the article and commentary below. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gg3BXWfE Learn more about reducing FX costs with FXRI: https://lnkd.in/dpCu6mi