COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 522293

International Trade Financing (pt)

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

20companies1791–2001founding years20still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedFleetBoston Financial Corporation
1791
FoundedAustralia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
1835
FoundedCredit Suisse Group
1856
FoundedClose Brothers Group plc
1878
FoundedGrupo Financiero Banamex S.A.
1884
FoundedAntofagasta plc
1888
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedUBS AG
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedSinger & Friedlander Group plc
1920
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedGrupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer S.A.
1932
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedWorld Bank Group
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedCazenove Group plc
1954
FoundedCommerzbank A.G.FoundedEuropean Investment Bank
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedAmerican Express Company
1965
FoundedBNP Paribas Group
1966
FoundedStandard Chartered plc
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedInvestcorp SA
1982
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedBanco Santander Central Hispano S.A.
1999
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

FleetBoston Financial Corporation →
Active · founded 1791
FleetBoston Financial Corporation is the eighth largest bank in the United States and the largest in New England, with…
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited →
Active · founded 1835 · Australia
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) is the second largest of the "Big Four" banks in Australia,…
Credit Suisse Group →
Active · founded 1856 · Switzerland
Credit Suisse Group, which began as a commercial bank in 1856, at a time when Switzerland was first embracing the…
Close Brothers Group plc →
Active · founded 1878 · United Kingdom
Small but steady Close Brothers plc is the last independent merchant bank in the United Kingdom.
Grupo Financiero Banamex S.A. →
Active · founded 1884 · Mexico
Grupo Financiero Banamex S.A.
Antofagasta plc →
Active · founded 1888 · United Kingdom
Antofagasta plc is one of the world's leading producers of copper, with total production levels nearing 472,000 tons in…
UBS AG →
Active · founded 1912 · Switzerland
UBS AG was formed from the 1998 megamerger of Swiss Bank Corporation and Union Bank of Switzerland.
Singer & Friedlander Group plc →
Active · founded 1920 · United Kingdom
Singer & Friedlander Group plc is one of the United Kingdom's last remaining independent merchant banks, providing…
Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer S.A. →
Active · founded 1932 · Mexico
Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer S.A.
Cargill, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1936
Cargill, Incorporated is the largest private corporation in the United States.
World Bank Group →
Active · founded 1946
The World Bank Group, created towards the end of World War II, provides loans, soft loans, and guarantees for…
Cazenove Group plc →
Active · founded 1954 · United Kingdom
Cazenove Group plc is one of the United Kingdom's oldest and most venerable investment bankers, providing capital…
Commerzbank A.G. →
Active · founded 1958 · Germany
Commerzbank A.G.
European Investment Bank →
Active · founded 1958 · L-2950 Luxembourg
As the primary financial arm of the European Union, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is also the world's largest bank…
American Express Company →
Active · founded 1965
American Express Company, a multibillion-dollar holding company whose subsidiaries provide travel and financial…
BNP Paribas Group →
Active · founded 1966 · France
BNP Paribas Group is the fruit of the 1999 merger between two of France's most influential banking groups, the…
Standard Chartered plc →
Active · founded 1969 · United Kingdom
Standard Chartered plc operates as the leading emerging markets bank in the world.
Investcorp SA →
Active · founded 1982 · Bahrain
Investcorp SA is a globally operating investment group with offices in Bahrain, London, and New York.
Banco Santander Central Hispano S.A. →
Active · founded 1999 · Spain
Banco Santander Central Hispano S.A.
Banca Intesa SpA →
Active · founded 2001 · Italy
Banca Intesa SpA has merged its way into the position of Italy's top commercial bank, with total assets topping EUR 260…
Build It Today

Starting a international trade financing (pt) company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.