Rabobank eyes first Asian structured inventory products desk in Singapore

After tapping the USA and Europe.

In a release, Rabobank International Asia today announced it is establishing its first Asian Structured Inventory Products (SIP) desk in Singapore to service its food and agribusiness (F&A) and resources clients across the region.

Rabobank’s new Singapore SIP desk will be the first in Asia. It complements Rabobank’s SIP desks globally, including Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, USA, Chile and Mexico.

SIP is a finance solution offered in trade commodity financing. In a SIP transaction, Rabobank becomes the temporary legal owner of physical goods, generally through a purchase and sales agreement with a client, commodities exchange or third party. SIP differs from other forms of secured financing, where the bank lends money against a security over goods.

Rabobank already provides Asian clients with global SIP solutions. This new Singapore SIP desk will give Asia-based clients better access to Rabobank’s SIP specialist in this region.

Rabobank Singapore Head of Trade Commodity Finance, Jasper van Schaik, said the decision to create a dedicated desk in Singapore was to due to growing demand from Asia-based clients, who can be more comprehensively served by a SIP specialist in the same region and time-zone.

“We are experiencing strong demand from clients in the Asia region seeking tailor-made solutions to provide liquidity against physical commodities held.

“SIP provides solutions for clients holding stock, either by warehousing soft commodities or storing energy commodities,” Mr van Schaik said.

Ms Anna Doubell will lead the SIP desk in Singapore, managing Rabobank’s SIP clients across the region. Joining from Sydney, Ms Doubell will bring her SIP experience in helping to manage liquidity with clients in Australian resources, food and agribusiness.

“As trade financing needs become more complex, F&A and resources need financial partners with global reach and specialised expertise. The expansion of our trade commodity finance business with the Singapore SIP offering will help us to deepen our relationships with clients to manage their needs,” Mr van Schaik said.

Ms Doubell will have a dual reporting line, to Mr van Schaik locally, and to Mr Peter Zonneveld, Rabobank’s Global Head SIP, functionally.