Baft to create industry #benchmark for Islamic trade finance

The Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (Baft) and International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM) are creating an industry standard for buying and selling Islamic trade-related risk. The two parties have announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a so-called master risk participation agreement. The industry already has such a standard, which was introduced 10 years ago and became the industry benchmark for such trade finance transactions. Baft president Tod Burwell said the association aims to repeat that success in the Islamic trade finance space, where standardisation is much needed. The Islamic risk participation agreement will incorporate considerations for funded and unfunded risk participations in trade assets within a Sharia-compliant framework. IIFM chairman Khalid Hamad said the cooperation with Baft would contribute to increasing the trade finance business on a Sharia-compliant basis.