Doing business with us
Trafigura trades commodities such as crude oil, refined
products, non-ferrous concentrates and refined metals; it also
provides the ships and facilities to store and transport them.
Physical trading is a long-term business. Investment in, and
access to, key physical assets around the world is central to our
business model. Management of ships, storage tanks, mines and other
logistical assets gives us a business advantage while demonstrating
our commitment to the territories in which we operate.
Primarily run by local management, our regional hubs are highly
attuned to the locale in which they operate; our people are
encouraged to take the initiative in spotting opportunities and
opening up new areas of supply and demand.
We believe in the importance of responding to market needs
rather than trying to shape them. Our ability to do so rests on the
strength of the partnerships we build and the passionate interest
that each of our traders takes in their area of expertise.
Our cultural diversity, and the many connections between our
local trading hubs and the markets they serve, provides a vast
resource of detailed information which we integrate into a global
picture of shifting trends.
Trafigura’s approach is to respond quickly and precisely to
opportunities that arise through shortage or surplus, often by
releasing the reserves of a commodity that we have in storage or
diverting those in transit. The impact on the global economy is a
smoothing out of the peaks and troughs in supply and demand.
Private ownership enables us to make rapid decisions, as well as
to take long-term views on new markets and opportunities. The
strong growth experienced by Trafigura over the past five years is
testament to the value of this approach.
Supporting our customers and suppliers often means providing
services beyond our core business of sourcing and supplying
commodities; increasingly we are offering logistical transport as
well as finance and other types of risk management.
Galena Asset Management is one example of this. Established in
2003, it is now the appointed manager of five separate funds with
over US$1.2 billion under management. Galena’s advantage is its
ability to leverage information and analysis from its close
relationship to our physical trading business.