Payment Link Cuts Intermediaries for China-Latin America Trade
Importers and exporters on the China-Latin America corridor may see fewer intermediaries and clearer pricing on transfers.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in International Trade
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LianLian Global, the cross-border payment brand of Hong Kong-listed Lianlian DigiTech, announced a collaboration with Cobre, a Latin American platform for instant business payments, to link payment flows between China and Latin America. The partnership targets businesses that pay or get paid across the corridor, a trade flow that reached roughly US$565 billion in 2025.
Why it matters
Cross-border payments tied to China-Latin America trade can pass through multiple correspondent banks, adding cost and delay that squeeze exporters and importers. The collaboration aims to reduce intermediaries, which could lower payment costs and shorten settlement times for firms in that trade.
China-Latin America trade reached about US$565 billion in 2025, up 6.5% from the prior year. Cobre reported processing US$17 billion across 28 million transactions in 2025 for roughly 300 enterprise clients, while Lianlian reports 13.3 million clients and 68 payment licenses worldwide.
The players
LianLian Global
The cross-border payment brand of Hong Kong-listed Lianlian DigiTech, serving clients across 200 countries and regions and supporting 140 currencies.
Cobre
A Latin American platform for instant business payments, processing US$17 billion across 28 million transactions in 2025 and operating in markets including Colombia and Mexico.
The details
Under the collaboration, LianLian Global clients can reach Cobre's local payment infrastructure in Latin America, while Cobre clients can send payouts into China through LianLian Global's licensed network. Each side contributes its regional rails, so a payment can be tracked across both the collection and payout legs. The companies say this cuts the number of intermediaries and provides transparent foreign exchange pricing and end-to-end tracking.
Timeline
2025: China-Latin America trade reached about US$565 billion.
November 2, 2026: LianLian Global and Cobre announced the collaboration.
Market Landscape
The collaboration sits within the growing China-Latin America trade corridor, which reached about US$565 billion in 2025 after 6.5% growth. Payment providers are competing to shorten the correspondent-bank chains that trade settlement has traditionally relied on.
Importers and exporters trading with China or Latin America should ask their payment providers which corridors are supported and what foreign exchange spread applies to each transfer. Finance teams should compare settlement times and fees before changing providers, and consult a qualified accountant on any cross-border treatment questions.
The takeaway
The main operating signal is whether reduced intermediary counts translate into lower fees and faster settlement for trade-linked payments. Businesses should track the announced expansion to additional corridors and compare actual transfer costs against their current bank routes over the next few quarters.
Further reading
For more on how shifting trade corridors affect payment flows, see International Trade.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
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