Allowance for credit losses (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Receivables [Abstract]

Allowance for Credit Losses on Financing Receivables [Table Text Block]

       a)    Allowance for loan losses:

(In thousands of US$)	Year ended December 31, 2012
	Corporations			Banking and financial institutions			Middle- market companies		Sovereign		Total
Balance at beginning of the year		48,865			30,523			8,952		207		88,547
Provision (reversal of provision) for loan losses (1)		(8,887	)		(1,704	)		1,690		558		(8,343	)
Loan recoveries and other		-			17			245		-		262
Loans written-off against the allowance for loan losses		(7,490	)		-			-		-		(7,490	)
Balance at end of the year		32,488			28,836			10,887		765		72,976
Components:
Generic allowance		32,488			28,836			10,887		765		72,976
Specific allowance		-			-			-		-		-
Total allowance for loan losses		32,488			28,836			10,887		765		72,976

(In thousands of US$)	Year ended December 31, 2011														Year ended December 31, 2010
	Corporations			Banking and financial institutions		Middle- market companies			Sovereign			Total
Balance at beginning of the year		54,160			18,790		5,265			400			78,615			73,789
Provision (reversal of provision) for loan losses (1)		(5,295	)		10,017		4,312			(193	)		8,841			9,091
Loan recoveries and other		-			1,716		440			-			2,156			996
Loans written-off against the allowance for loan losses		-			-		(1,065	)		-			(1,065	)		(5,261	)
Balance at end of the year		48,865			30,523		8,952			207			88,547			78,615
Components:
Generic allowance		34,065			30,523		8,952			207			73,747			67,115
Specific allowance		14,800			-		-			-			14,800			11,500
Total allowance for loan losses		48,865			30,523		8,952			207			88,547			78,615

⁽¹⁾ It includes releases of specific reserves for $7,931 thousand during 2012, $1,600 thousand during 2011, and $1,031 thousand during 2010.

Disclosure Related To Loan Balances and Reserves For Loan Losses [Table Text Block]

Following is a summary of loan balances and reserves for loan losses:

(In thousands of US$)	December 31, 2012
	Corporations		Banking and financial institutions		Middle- market companies		Sovereign		Total
Allowance for loan losses
Generic allowance		32,488		28,836		10,887		765		72,976
Specific allowance		-		-		-		-		-
Total of allowance for loan losses		32,488		28,836		10,887		765		72,976
Loans
Loans with generic allowance		2,741,251		2,192,023		681,912		100,370		5,715,556
Loans with specific allowance		-		-		-		-		-
Total loans		2,741,251		2,192,023		681,912		100,370		5,715,556

(In thousands of US$)	December 31, 2011
	Corporations		Banking and financial institutions		Middle- market companies		Sovereign		Total
Allowance for loan losses
Generic allowance		34,065		30,523		8,952		207		73,747
Specific allowance		14,800		-		-		-		14,800
Total of allowance for loan losses		48,865		30,523		8,952		207		88,547
Loans
Loans with generic allowance		2,290,413		2,164,163		445,731		27,266		4,927,573
Loans with specific allowance		32,000		-		-		-		32,000
Total loans		2,322,413		2,164,163		445,731		27,266		4,959,573

Disclosure Related To Reserve For Losses On Off-Balance Sheet Credit Risk [Table Text Block]

b) Reserve for losses on off-balance sheet credit risk:

(In thousands of US$)	Year ended December 31,
	2012			2011			2010
Balance at beginning of the year		8,887			13,335			27,261
Reversal of provision for losses on off-balance sheet credit risk		(4,046	)		(4,448	)		(13,926	)
Balance at end of the year		4,841			8,887			13,335