ICC and FCI move to close factoring data gap in trade finance

The ICC Trade Register and FCI have announced a cooperation agreement to improve the availability and quality of international factoring and supply chain finance data.

The initiative was announced at FCI’s 58th Annual Meeting in Lisbon and is designed to bring aggregated factoring data into the ICC Trade Register, giving banks, regulators and market participants a more complete view of short-term trade-related finance.

The ICC Trade Register has become an important industry reference for trade finance risk data since its launch in 2008. Its expansion into supply chain finance began with payables finance, but the absence of factoring data has left a gap in the way receivables-based finance is represented.

FCI will contribute aggregated factoring data to complement existing datasets in the register. The organisations said this should improve transparency across trade and working capital finance, while supporting stronger risk analytics and regulatory advocacy.

For factoring and receivables finance providers, the cooperation could strengthen the evidence base used to explain the performance, risk profile and economic role of the sector. Better data may also support benchmarking across products, markets and geographies.

Chenyue Mao, Chair of FCI, said the cooperation reflects FCI’s commitment to strengthening the global factoring industry through data-driven insights.

Samuel Mathews, Chair of the ICC Trade Register, said the inclusion of factoring data is an important next step in the register’s evolution, adding that it will enhance the scope and relevance of the dataset.

Both organisations will now work towards formalising the cooperation through a memorandum of understanding or similar legal agreement, alongside work on governance, data submission and technical integration.