Richard Li, group head of global chinese at Standard Chartered, said, “The solution promotes the use of RMB that can deliver tangible benefits, including lower foreign exchange costs, improved working capital efficiency and better alignment of cash flows.” He added that the solution enables small entrepreneurs engaged in Sino-Africa trade to manage multiple currencies, access reliable financing, and navigate complex regulatory environments.

Originally launched in China in 2006, the initiative reflects the bank’s continued commitment to supporting SMEs in their international expansion. Bernard Kombo, head of SME Banking at Standard Chartered Kenya, noted that businesses can achieve up to two per cent annual savings by using RMB for working capital financing.

Kombo further highlighted that the corridor leverages a cross-border international payments system, enabling settlement within 15 seconds, significantly faster than traditional methods that take one to two days.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JP)

On March **, ****, India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued Notification No. **/****–**, amending Para *.** of the Foreign Trade Policy and removing the long-standing ****;** lakh (about $**,***) per-consignment cap on courier exports. From April *, exporters can send consignments of any value through courier mode instead of splitting higher-value orders into smaller parcels.

For textiles and apparel, this is more than a procedural tweak. The sector is no longer driven only by large container-based orders from global retailers. It is increasingly shaped by samples, capsule drops, repeat orders, customised runs, premium home textiles, craft-led fashion, and direct-to-consumer cross-border fulfilment. In that world, courier flexibility matters.