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Corporate information | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure of notes and other explanatory information [Abstract] |
Disclosure of notes and other explanatory information [text block] |
1. | Corporate information
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 multinational 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 law 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 unique 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:
| - | Bladex Holdings Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary, incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America (USA), on May 30, 2000. Bladex Holdings Inc. has ownership in Bladex Representacao Ltda.
| - | Bladex Representaçao Ltda., incorporated under the laws of Brazil on January 7, 2000, acts as the Bank’s representative office in Brazil. Bladex Representacao Ltda. is 99.999% owned by Bladex Head Office and the remaining 0.001% owned by Bladex Holdings Inc.
| - | Bladex Investimentos Ltda. was incorporated under the laws of Brazil on May 3, 2011. Bladex Head Office owned 99% of Bladex Investimentos Ltda., and Bladex Holdings Inc. owned the remaining 1%. This company had invested substantially all of its assets in an investment fund, Alpha 4x Latam Fundo de Investimento Multimercado, incorporated in Brazil (“the Brazilian Fund”), registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil (“CVM”, for its acronym in Portuguese). Bladex Investimentos Ltda. merged with Bladex Representacao Ltda. on April 2016, being the former the extinct company under Brazilian law and prevailing the acquiring company Bladex Representacao Ltda.
| - | Bladex Development Corp. was incorporated under the laws of Panama on June 5, 2014. Bladex Development Corp. is 100% owned by Bladex Head Office.
| - | BLX Soluciones, S.A. de C.V., SOFOM, E.N.R. was incorporated under the laws of Mexico on June 13, 2014. BLX Soluciones is 99.9% owned by Bladex Head Office, and Bladex Development Corp. owns the remaining 0.1%. The company specializes in offering financial leasing and other financial products such as loans and factoring.
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 in the Region. The New York Agency also has authorization to book transactions through an International Banking Facility (“IBF”). The Bank has representative offices in Buenos Aires, Argentina; in Mexico City; in Lima, Peru; and in Bogota, Colombia. The consolidated financial statements have been authorized for issue by resolution of the Board of Directors dated February 06, 2018.

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