Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (“Bladex Head Office” and together with its subsidiaries “Bladex” or the “Bank”), headquartered in Panama City, Republic of Panama, is a specialized supranational bank established to support the financing of trade and economic integration in Latin America and the Caribbean (the “Region”). The Bank was established pursuant to a May 1975 proposal presented to the Assembly of Governors of Central Banks in the Region, which recommended the creation of a multinational organization to increase the foreign trade financing capacity of the Region. The Bank was organized in 1977, incorporated in 1978 as a corporation pursuant to the laws of the Republic of Panama, and officially initiated operations on January 2, 1979. Under a contract signed in 1978 between the Republic of Panama and Bladex, the Bank was granted certain privileges by the Republic of Panama, including an exemption from payment of income taxes in Panama.

 

The Bank operates under a general banking license issued by the National Banking Commission of Panama, predecessor of the Superintendency of Banks of Panama (the “SBP”).

 

In the Republic of Panama, banks are regulated by the SBP through Executive Decree No. 52 of April 30, 2008, which adopts the text of the Law Decree No. 9 of February 26, 1998, modified by the Law Decree No. 2 of February 22, 2008. Banks are also regulated by resolutions and agreements issued by this entity. The main aspects of this law and its regulations include: the authorization of banking licenses, minimum capital and liquidity requirements, consolidated supervision, procedures for management of credit and market risks, measures to prevent money laundering, the financing of terrorism and related illicit activities, and procedures for banking intervention and liquidation, among others.

 

Bladex Head Office’s subsidiaries are the following:

 

 

 

 

The objective of the Brazilian Fund is to achieve capital gains by dealing in the interest, currency, securities, commodities and debt markets, and by trading instruments available in the spot and derivative markets.

 

 

Bladex Head Office has a participation of 55.87% in Alpha4X Feeder Fund (formerly Bladex Offshore Feeder Fund), a fund constituted under the laws of the Cayman Islands, that invests substantially all its assets in Alpha4X Capital Growth Fund (formerly Bladex Capital Growth Fund), which is also incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (see Note 7). Alpha4X Feeder Fund is a variable interest entity (“VIE”), and has been consolidated in these consolidated financial statements. Both funds, Alpha4X Feeder Fund and Alpha4X Capital Growth Fund are registered with the Cayman Island Monetary Authority (“CIMA”), under the Mutual Funds Law of the Cayman Islands. The objective of these Funds is to achieve capital appreciation by investing in Latin American debt securities, stock indexes, currencies, and trading derivative instruments.

 

Bladex Head Office has an agency in New York City, USA (the “New York Agency”), which began operations on March 27, 1989. The New York Agency is principally engaged in financing transactions related to international trade, mostly the confirmation and financing of letters of credit for customers of the Region. The New York Agency is also licensed by the State of New York Banking Department, USA, to operate an International Banking Facility (“IBF”). 

 

The Bank has representative offices in Buenos Aires, Argentina; in Mexico City, D.F. and Monterrey, Mexico; in Porto Alegre, Brazil; in Lima, Peru; in Bogota, Colombia; and an international administrative office in Miami, Florida, USA.

 

Bladex Head Office owned 50% of the equity shares of BCG PA LLC, a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA. This company owned “Class C” shares of Bladex Capital Growth Fund, which were sold as part of the sale of the asset management unit (see Note 7). The “Class C” shares entitled this company to receive a performance allocation on third-party investments in Bladex Offshore Feeder Fund and in Bladex Capital Growth Fund. This company was dissolved on August 14, 2013 and its net assets were transferred to its investors.