Our soft commodities team is experienced in a wide range of commodities including grains, sugar, rice, nuts, soya, coffee, oils and seeds. We have one of the largest international soft commodity legal teams and our clients include some of the world’s major commodities trading houses, financiers and insurers.
From production through to sales and distribution, we guide our clients through the contractual and financial complexities of the market, from structuring existing and new investments, to setting up supply and production agreements, to shipment and supply chain management. We also advise on issues concerning fertilisers.
We have significant experience in resolving soft commodity disputes including a large number of substantial arbitrations through the main arbitral centres and the trade association arbitration rules, such as GAFTA, FOSFA, IGPA and the Refined Sugar Association.
Our Soft Commodities Works
Buying a coffee trading house
Advising an Italian coffee trading house on the acquisition of a coffee trading business. The transaction needed to be structured so as to preserve confidentiality.
Advising on a Brazilian commodities finance facility
Advising a Brazilian trading company on a USD 85 million structured commodities finance facility (sugar and coffee) in Brazil.
Buying a sugar trading business
Advising a leading sugar trader in acquiring a sugar trading business in Brazil and Switzerland. The transaction needed to be structured in a manner to ring fence the seller’s Brazilian tax and trading liabilities and mitigate anti-trust issues.
Wheat Exports Australia Audit
Conducting, on the instruction of Wheat Exports Australia, an audit of one year’s worth of the commodity trading and chartering practices of a major Australian exporter of wheat, relating to export accreditation restrictions.