December 5, 2024

Venue: Hotel Splendide Royal,
Riva Antonio Caccia 7, 6900 Lugano

Registration deadline:
Please register by November 29, 2024.

Notice: Since parking spaces are limited, please use public transportation whenever possible (Bus lines 1 or 4, “Lugano, Malpensata” bus stop) or opt for the Palazzo Mantegazza car park in Paradiso (4’ walking distance).

Registration:
register here


17:00 – 18:00 | LCTA Annual General Meeting

Restricted entrance to LCTA members only

The invitation to the Annual General Meeting, along with the agenda and the relevant documentation, will be sent to the Members in due time and form.


18:00 – 19:30 | Commodity Roundtable

Open to all guests

Geopolitical risks stemming from polarization, regional conflicts, increased protectionism, and elections have inevitable repercussions on the commodities value chain. The Commodity Roundtable will examine the structural changes in the various commodity markets and how commodity traders are responding to the fluid geopolitical environment.

18:00 Opening
Monica Zurfluh, Secretary General LCTA

18:05 Welcome speech
Matteo Somaini, President LCTA

18:15 Keynote speech: News from the front lines of the geopolitical shift
Ambassador Monika Schmutz Kirgöz (BIO)

18:35 Roundtable: Geopolitical limits and constraints in the free trade
world
Moderator: Roberto Grassi, Vice President LCTA
Panelists:
– Ambassador Monika Schmutz Kirgöz
– Costanza Eufemi, Co-founder, Lyra Commodities SA
– Mattia Giussani, Head of Power Origination, Sirius Energy SA
– Roger Hughes, COO and Risk Manager, DITH


19:30 – 21:00 | Christmas Apéro

Open to all guests


Lugano Commodity Trading Association,
ALMA Impact

October 11, 2024 – January 11, 2025

Venue: hybrid (Executive Center, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano & online)

Registration deadline:
Please register by October 4, 2024 (Early booking: June 1, 2024)

Admission
Standard fee: CHF 4’900
LCTA members: CHF 4’410
Companies that register more than 5 employees will benefit from an additional 5% discount.
Early booking: -10%

Registration:
register here


The Certified Commodity Trading Specialist (CCTS) is a SAQ certification in the commodity trading sector and aims to be recognized as a quality benchmark for professionals active in this field.

Who will benefit

  • Traders or operators early in their careers as commodity trading employees, who wish to receive a comprehensive overview of commodity trading;
  • Other specialists in commodity companies who wish to complete their knowledge about processes of other functions and be more prepared to step up as senior within the organisation;
  • Employees or managers of companies that provide services to the commodity sector, such as banks, auditing, legal, transportation, risk management, insurance companies, etc., who wish to better understand the industry in which their clients operate;
  • Entrepreneurs, directors, finance managers, sector managers, etc., who are active in small and medium-sized companies that have foreign dealings and wish to learn more about commodity trading.
  • Graduates aiming to begin their career in the industry.

Objectives

At the end of the training, participants will be able to:

  • Apply the fundamentals of commodity trade and interpret geopolitical dynamics;
  • Correctly place the importance and role of raw materials in their business value chain;
  • Recognize the most important and/or critical aspects related to the supply and transportation of raw materials and be able to identify the right solutions;
  • List the parameters and operations of trade finance in commodity trading and know how to apply them to one’s own business reality;
  • Identify and manage the major risks associated with commodity trading;
  • Correctly apply laws and regulations related to the commodities industry;
  • Recognize the need to apply the principle of sustainability in the commodity trading business and the respective critical issues.

Structure

The training is structured in 5 modules:

  • Module 1: Commodities: geopolitical dynamics, value chain and sustainability (12 hours)
  • Module 2: Shipping & Transport (8 hours)
  • Module 3: Legal & Compliance (12 hours)
  • Module 4: Trade finance (20 hours)
  • Module 5: Risk management (8 hours)


For further information download the Brochure.

Scholarship

LCTA awards annually two scholarships to non-LCTA-affiliated students enrolled in the CCTS training. For further information download the CCTS Scholarship Regulations.


Cc-Ti-Ticino Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCTA-Lugano Commodity Trading Association, SECO-State Secretariat for economic affairs

June 11, 2024, from 16:00 to 17:30
followed by a networking aperitif

Venue: Villa Sassa Hotel, Residence & Spa, Via Tesserete 10, 6900 Lugano

Registration deadline:
Please register by Tuesday, June 4 at 12:00

Cancellation policy:
Non-members must pay the registration price if they cancel after the abovementioned registration deadline

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
By participating in this event, you consent to the transfer of your personal data (first name, last name, company).

Admission
Free of charge for Cc-Ti/LCTA members, CHF 50.- for non-members
Priority is given to the Associations’ members

Target audience
C-Level & employees in the Legal & Compliance as well as the Logistics/Import-Export Departments

Registration
On-site participation: register here


In an increasingly complex international context, the sanctions landscape is likewise growing more complex, whether in terms of how they are adopted and implemented, the number of nations affected or even the types of penalties themselves.

Switzerland has independently participated in the United Nations’ non-military sanctions program since 1990. Following its membership in the UN, our Country is now required by international law to implement non-military coercive measures adopted by the UN Security Council. On March 4, 2016, the Federal Council enacted the Ordinance on the automatic application of the UN Security Council’s sanctions lists, which gives modifications to the UN Security Council sanctions lists immediate legal effect in Switzerland. On the basis of the UN sanctions, Switzerland has instituted so-called “embargo” measures in the form of Federal Council Ordinances. As of January 1, 2003, these are based on the Federal Act on the Implementation of International Sanctions (Embargo Act, EmbA). Switzerland can also order measures in application of the sanctions of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe or of its main trading partners, as it has for instance been the case with the European Union in recent measures regarding Belarus or the situation in Ukraine.

Sanctions can be of various types: related to goods (e.g. prohibitions on providing armament and related material, dual-use goods and/or equipment, technology and software for inspection purposes), financial (blocking of assets and economic resources, prohibitions on making assets available, mandatory declarations for blocked values), travel, and so on.

With the support and involvement of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), we will examine the Swiss sanctions landscape, with a focus on the complex package of sanctions against Russia, while also emphasizing obligations and responsibilities for businesses.

Program

16:00-16:10 | Introduction and moderation
Monica Zurfluh, Head of International Trade, Cc-Ti | Secretary General, LCTA

16:10-17:10 | Swiss sanctions
Rebekka Strässle, Head of Sanctions Division, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)

17:10-17:30 | Q&A

17:30-18:30 | Networking apéro


Lugano Commodity Trading Association, ALMA Impact

May 21, 2024, from 11:45 to 12:30

Venue: online

Registration deadline:
Please register by Monday, May 20, 2024, EOB

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
By participating in this event, you consent to the transfer of your personal data (first name, last name, company).

Admission
Participation at the webinar is free of charge, but registration is compulsory

Registration
register here


Are you ready to elevate your expertise in commodity trading?

We are pleased to announce the upcoming webinar presentation for the 2nd edition of the Certified Commodity Trading Specialist (CCTS) course, organized by LCTA and ALMA Impact AG!

The course leads to ISO-compliant certification issued by the Swiss Association for Quality (SAQ).


Lugano Commodity Trading Association,
ALMA Impact

May 2, 2024, from 16:45 to 18:15
followed by a networking aperitif

Venue: Hotel Pestalozzi Lugano, Piazza Indipendenza 9, 6900 Lugano

Registration deadline:
Please register by Friday, April 26, 2024

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
By participating in this event, you consent to the transfer of your personal data (first name, last name, company).

Admission
Participation at the event is free of charge, but registration is compulsory

Registration
On-site participation: register here


Join LCTA and Alma Impact to celebrate the graduation of the first class of Certified Commodity Trading Specialists and learn more about the second edition of the training program, which will start on October 11, 2024.

Program

16:45 Guest Registration

17:00 Start of the event

  • Welcome speech
    Matteo Somaini, President of LCTA
  • Geopolitical Context and Commodity Trading. Focus on China
    Alessandra Gianella, Co-Chairman of Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) Ticino Chapter and Owner of SinoCom
  • Presentation of the second edition of the CCTS training program
  • Graduation Ceremony: awarding of diplomas and prize-giving to the best performing student

18:15 Networking apéritif


LCTA-Lugano Commodity Trading Association, Intertek, focusright

April 17, 2024, from 15:30 to 17:00
followed by a networking aperitif

Venue: Chamber of commerce and industry of Canton Ticino, Corso Elvezia 16, 6900 Lugano – Gildo Papa Room (6th floor)

Notice: Registration is required by Friday, April 12, 2024 at 12:00pm.
Cancellation policy: Non-members must pay the registration price if they cancel after the aforementioned registration deadline.

Admission
Free of charge for LCTA members, CHF 75.- for non-members
Priority is given to association members

Target audience
CEO, CFO, ESG Teams, Supply Chain Teams, Legal & Compliance, General Manager/Head of Operations

Registration
On-site participation: register here


The government of Switzerland has recently implemented new due diligence requirements for Swiss companies to better protect people and the environment both at home and abroad. The legislation includes new reporting requirements on “non-financial matters”, in the areas of environment, social responsibility, and human rights (Ordinance on Climate Disclosure), which are based on the existing European Union Directive 2014/95/EU (Non-Financial Reporting Directive); and new due diligence and reporting obligations with respect to conflict minerals and to prevent child labour throughout the supply chain (DDTrO).

In turn, the European Union has stalled the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), which would require EU and non-EU companies to carefully manage social and environmental impacts throughout their entire supply chain, including direct and indirect suppliers, their own operations, and their products and services. At the moment of publishing this event, it is unknown what will happen next, and if there will still be a vote on the proposal. Following the existing regulations in Germany (Supply Chain Due Diligence Act or “Lieferkettengesetz”) and France (Duty of Diligence Act or “Loi sur le devoir de vigilance”), more EU member States may enact national legislation to ensure that businesses address the negative consequences of their actions, including those in their value chains. The legislative landscape regarding this topic is growing more complex.

Therefore, the Swiss commodity trading umbrella association SUISSENÉGOCE and the Total Quality Assurance provider Intertek, in cooperation with the human rights consultancy firm focusright, have developed a multi-step program to assist SUISSENÉGOCE (and thus LCTA) members in understanding how their policies and processes meet the legal requirements in this area. The program has five steps:

  1. Internal company Self-Assessments
  2. Company Evaluations
  3. Supply Chain Assessments
  4. Improve & Educate
  5. Analyse

During a 90-minute workshop, Intertek and focusright experts will provide a snapshot of the legislative landscape and walk participants through the program, with the ultimate goal of allowing them to take the necessary steps toward compliance at their own pace and implement bespoke due diligence strategies for their organization.

Discussion oriented, this program is followed by a networking aperitif.

Speakers:
Barbara Carini, EDGE Global Scheme Manager – GHG Scheme Manager – Sustainability reporting project leader, Intertek
Jérémy Gaspard, Vice President, Government Trade Services Global and World of Energy Europe, Intertek
Matthias Leisinger, Director, Co-Founder, focusright


Swiss Sustainable Finance in cooperation with Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and the Lugano Commodity Trading Association.

March 21st, 2024, from 13.00 to 16.30

Venue: Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano or Microsoft Teams (hybrid)

Admission
Free, but registration compulsory

Registration
On-site participation: register here

Virtual participation: register here


Carbon markets are considered an effective mechanisms for mitigating climate change and facilitating the shift towards a net-zero economy by assigning a value to greenhouse gas emissions. Despite their critical role, there remains a limited understanding of the intricacies within compliance and voluntary carbon markets. Notably, the past year witnessed a surge in critiques and challenges from both media outlets and scientists, with particular emphasis on forest carbon offsets.

The event includes a key note from Sergio Ermotti, Group CEO and President of the Executive Board of UBS AG. It further contains an introduction to carbon markets by Prof. Dr. Eric Nowak and presentations from industry experts inlcuding Southpole and Gold Standard. It closes with a panel discussion examining voluntary carbon markets and the role of carbon markets in the transition. The exchange between industry experts, academics and stakeholders aims to foster a frank dialogue on the present state and the future trajectory of carbon markets.

Please find the detailed agenda at this link (PDF).


LCTA Ordinary General Meeting

December 20, 2023, at 18.00

Venue: Townhall Lugano (Municipio di Lugano, Sala del Consiglio comunale)

Admission
Members-only

Programme

Agenda as per Notice calling the Ordinary General Meeting.

In the event that you have not received the Notice, please contact us at info@lcta.ch

Yours Faithfully,

Monica Zurfluh

Secretary General, LCTA


LCTA’s Christmas Apéritif

December 20, 2023, at 19.00

Venue: Grand Café al Porto,
Via Pessina 3, Lugano
Liberty Hall, ground floor

Registration
Please confirm your presence
via e-mail: info@lcta.ch


Programme

Join us to reconnect, celebrate the festive season together and ring in a successful 2024!

Kindly confirm your presence via e-mail by December 15.

Best regards
Monica Zurfluh
Secretary General, LCTA


Lugano Commodity Trading Association

June, 20, 2023

Venue: Centro Studi Villa Negroni, Vezia

Program

The last 3 years have been characterised by the global pandemic, by the war in Ukraine, by general price increase and inflation all over the world and by other important geopolitical events. On the one side, this difficult context brought negative effects to the global economy, but on the other side this complex situation has been creating various opportunities for several sectors, in particular for the commodity trading sector.
During this “Commodities Roundtable” we are going to listen to the opinion of four different representatives of Lugano-based companies active in commodity trading.

18.00 Opening

  • Marco Passalia, Secretary General, LCTA

18.05 Welcome Speech

  • Matteo Somaini, President LCTA

18.15 Presentation of LCTA’s new training program

18.25 Commodity Roundtable
Moderator:

  • Roberto Grassi, CEO, Fidinam Group Holding SA

Speakers:

  • Urbano Clerici, CEO, Coeclerici Compagnie SA
  • Renato Ginesi, CEO, GTrade System Suisse SA
  • Alberto Salsiccia, CFO, Petraco SA
  • Norbert Stadler, CEO, DSS International SA

19.30 Networking apero