International Business with Fexingo: Global Trade, Cross-Border Deals, and Multinational Operations

Episode 31 of International Business with Fexingo examines how European regulators are restructuring trade finance rules in the wake of 2025's commodity market disruptions. Lucas and Luna break down the shift from short-term bank letters of credit to longer-duration digital instruments, the role of distributed ledger pilots in Rotterdam and Singapore, and what the new capital requirements mean for...

In this episode of International Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine how the persistent strength of the US dollar—currently at 119 on the trade-weighted index—is forcing multinational corporations to rethink their supply chain strategies. We drill into a concrete case: how a mid-sized German automotive parts supplier, Schaeffler, is shifting production from China to Mexico to reduce doll...

On this episode of International Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine how Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain dominance is rewriting global trade patterns. With the Taiwan stock index ETF (EWT) surging 4.5% in the past five days, they unpack the structural factors behind the move—from advanced packaging bottlenecks to the reshoring calculus in the US and Europe. The conversation drills in...

On June 3, 2026, the U.S. proposed fresh tariffs on 60 economies over forced labor trade practices. Lucas and Luna unpack how this sweeping move — far broader than previous targeted actions — could reroute global supply chains, reshape sourcing strategies for multinationals, and create new winners and losers in emerging markets. They examine the specifics: which sectors are most exposed, how the t...

Episode 27 of International Business with Fexingo - Lucas and Luna explore how the collapse of the yen carry trade is fundamentally rewiring global trade finance. They anchor on the recent 7.3% surge in South Korea's EWY ETF and the yen crossing 159 per dollar. With data showing the trade-weighted dollar index dropping to 118.9, they analyze how Japanese investors withdrawing from Brazilian and Me...

Episode 26 of International Business with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna examine how the yen's prolonged weakness—now at 159 to the dollar—is forcing Japanese automakers to rethink decades-old supply chains. With Toyota and Honda shifting production back to Japan while Korean rivals like Hyundai gain cost advantages, the episode drills into specific plant announcements, currency hedging strategies, and w...

Lucas and Luna examine how Japan's persistent yen weakness is forcing automakers and parts suppliers across Asia to rethink decades-old supply chains. With the yen at 159 per dollar and the trade-weighted dollar index still elevated, the episode drills into a specific number: Toyota's 2025 operating profit, which hit a record 5.3 trillion yen—roughly 35 billion dollars—but is now under pressure as...

Episode 24 of International Business with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna unpack how the yen's slide to a 34-year low is forcing Japanese manufacturers to rethink decades-old supply chain strategies. They look at Toyota's decision to move more production back to Japan, the rise of yen-denominated trade finance in Southeast Asia, and what the 13 percent surge in the Korea ETF (EWY) tells us about the shift...

Lucas and Luna explore how mobile money platforms across sub-Saharan Africa are reshaping trade finance for small and medium enterprises. With regional data showing a 40 percent increase in cross-border mobile transactions since 2024, they focus on the M-Pesa network's expansion into trade credit and how it bypasses traditional correspondent banking bottlenecks. The conversation touches on the lin...

Lucas and Luna explore the quietly resurgent yuan carry trade, where investors borrow Chinese renminbi at low rates to fund higher-yielding bets in emerging markets like India and Brazil. They anchor the discussion in a specific trade: a hedge fund borrowing yuan at 2.8 percent to buy Indian government bonds yielding 7 percent, netting roughly 4.2 percent after hedging costs. They examine how Chin...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the recent CNBC headline about the NASA ETF turning SpaceX IPO access into a $2.6 billion retail trade in just two months. They explore how the ETF structure allows retail investors to get exposure to pre-IPO companies like SpaceX, the implications for traditional venture capital, and what this means for cross-border investment flows. With the S&P 500 at 7...

Episode 20 of International Business with Fexingo examines how the yen's collapse to 159 per dollar is upending trade finance across Asia. Lucas and Luna break down why Japanese exporters are hoarding cash, how Korean chipmakers benefit from a weaker won, and what the 13% surge in the Korea ETF tells us about cross-border capital flows. They also explore the ripple effects on Singapore's trade hub...

A new US bill targeting Chinese-owned automakers could ban Mercedes-Benz from the American market because of a Chinese shareholder. Lucas and Luna break down the proposed legislation, how a 9.7% stake triggers a national security review, and what this means for global supply chains and foreign investment in the US. They tie in the latest trade deficit data and the strong dollar to show why this bi...

The euro has been hovering near parity with the dollar for weeks, and that's quietly changing the economics of European exports, U.S. corporate earnings, and cross-border dealmaking. Lucas and Luna break down why a one-to-one exchange rate matters more than most investors realize—using real examples from aerospace, luxury goods, and German manufacturing. They also examine how the European Central...

Lucas and Luna unpack the quiet death of the yen carry trade in 2026. For decades, traders borrowed cheaply in Japan to chase yield abroad. But with the Bank of Japan finally raising rates and the yen at 159 per dollar, the old math no longer works. They walk through the numbers: the cost of hedging is up, implied volatility has spiked, and the trade that once returned 4 to 5 percent annually is n...

Lucas and Luna examine how Taiwan has become a critical hub for trade finance amid rising geopolitical tensions. They discuss the island's role in the US-China tech war, the surge in semiconductor supply chain financing, and why the Taiwan dollar is strengthening despite export headwinds. The conversation also covers the impact of recent oil price spikes on shipping costs and the Fed's inflation f...

Lucas and Luna examine the quiet revolution in Latin American cross-border payments, where startups and central banks are bypassing the SWIFT system to send money faster and cheaper. They discuss Real-Time Gross Settlement integration between Brazil and Argentina, Pix's expansion into Uruguay, and what Chile's new instant payment law means for remittance costs. The hosts reference recent data show...

Taiwan and South Korea are both semiconductor powerhouses, but their stock markets are moving in opposite directions. While Taiwan's EWT ETF is up nearly 14% in a week, South Korea's EWY has surged over 15%. Lucas and Luna drill into why Korean chipmakers like SK Hynix are outperforming, hitting a $1 trillion valuation amid the AI boom, while China's FXI ETF is down 1.5%. They explore the structur...

South Korea's EWY ETF surged 14.3% in the past week, while Taiwan's EWT jumped 13.5%. Lucas and Luna unpack what's driving the rally: a structural shift in semiconductor supply chains away from China, the memory-chip boom led by Micron hitting a trillion-dollar market cap, and the strong dollar reshaping trade finance. They drill into specific data—Korea's export numbers, the yuan weakening past 6...

Lucas and Luna dig into the latest US trade balance data — a widening deficit to over $60 billion in March 2026 — and explore what it really means for global supply chains and multinational operations. They connect the strong dollar index at 119.3 and a yuan at 6.81 per dollar to a structural shift: US imports remain high while exports grow slowly, and the dollar's strength is squeezing emerging m...

India's Unified Payments Interface processed over $2 trillion in transactions last year, and now it's going global. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how UPI is expanding beyond India's borders through partnerships with countries like Singapore, UAE, and France. They break down the numbers behind India's digital payments explosion, the implications for global remittance flows, and how this c...

Lucas and Luna examine how Singapore has emerged as the preferred hub for trade finance in Asia, with assets under management reaching $5.4 trillion in 2025. They look at the city-state's low April inflation reading of 1.8 percent and revised growth figures, and discuss how its stable legal system and currency have attracted shipping and commodity trading firms from Hong Kong and Shanghai. The epi...

In this episode of International Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna drill into the surging US dollar—now above 119 on the trade-weighted index—and what it means for multinational operations. They examine how a strong dollar pressures emerging-market borrowers, deflates commodity-driven economies, and forces companies to rethink supply chain financing. Using live data from May 24, 2026, they con...

This episode of International Business with Fexingo dives into the hidden impact of currency fluctuations on global supply chains. With the trade-weighted US dollar index hitting 119.3, Lucas and Luna explore how a surging dollar is forcing multinationals to rethink sourcing, pricing, and factory locations. They discuss the yen's slide past 158 per dollar, making Japanese exports cheaper but squee...

Lucas and Luna dive into how TSMC has turned geopolitical risk into a competitive advantage. With chip fabrication plants now under construction in Arizona, Japan, and Germany, TSMC is navigating export controls, rising construction costs, and customer demand for supply chain resilience. They discuss the $40 billion Arizona fab delays, the surprising profitability of the Japanese facility in Kumam...