Risk disclosures.
Physical commodity trade finance carries a material risk of loss. This page states the principal risks plainly and without netting them against the protections described elsewhere — a protection with a pending status is a plan, not a shield. Read it together with the deal model and the stage disclosure on the landing page.
1. Counterparty and credit risk
A buyer, supplier or intermediary can default, delay or dispute. Recovery depends on the deal vehicle's title position and the disposal value of the cargo — recovery can be partial or nil.
2. Commodity price risk
The market value of the underlying cargo can move sharply during a cycle. Hedging is a funding precondition but can be imperfect: basis risk, timing gaps and hedge counterparty performance all affect the outcome.
3. Delivery and logistics risk
Cargo can be delayed, lost, damaged, stolen or rejected on quality. Insurance cover, where in place, is subject to policy terms, exclusions and claim timing.
4. Document and title risk
Trade finance depends on documents — bills of lading, warrants, assignments. Fraudulent, defective or delayed documents can impair title, block settlement or reduce recovery.
5. FX risk
Deals can involve more than one currency across funding, freight and settlement legs. Exchange-rate movement between those legs affects returns.
6. Sanctions and jurisdictional risk
Counterparties, cargoes, routes and banks are screened, but sanctions regimes, export controls and local law change and can freeze or unwind a transaction mid-cycle.
7. Operational and platform risk
Process failure, key-person loss, custody errors, or failure of the operating platform and its service providers can delay or impair a deal. Controls are described on this site with their current status — several are not yet contracted.
8. Stage risk
CARTHO's own executed track record is limited and builds deal by deal. The Brazil–Tianjin transaction referenced on this site was executed by a trading partner and is published as a model calibration case only.
9. Liquidity and duration risk
Participations are deal-locked for the cycle (75–120 days by design, longer if a deal is delayed or in workout). There is no secondary market.
10. Loss of capital
Any deal can under-recover or lose principal in full. Target returns are per-deal targets agreed at subscription — targets, not guarantees. Do not commit capital you cannot afford to lose.
No offer
Nothing on this website is a public offering, investment advice, a financing commitment or a guaranteed return. Access to any participation is conditional on jurisdiction screening, identity verification, an eligibility declaration and a signed risk acknowledgement.