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‘We are a big tanker; we are shifting’: UOB’s Wee Ee Cheong takes long-term view on trade loans

The lender’s trade loan portfolio up 12% year on year in the first half of FY2025

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Renald Yeo

Renald Yeo

Published Thu, Aug 7, 2025 · 08:09 PM
    • UOB deputy chairman and group CEO Wee Ee Cheong says the bank is “always on the lookout” for M&A opportunities.
    • UOB deputy chairman and group CEO Wee Ee Cheong says the bank is “always on the lookout” for M&A opportunities. PHOTO: UOB

    [SINGAPORE] Trade loans remain a relatively small portion of UOB’s total portfolio, but their contribution to the bank’s balance sheet is expected to become more visible over time, said its top executives.

    “We are a big tanker; we are shifting,” said Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and chief executive officer of UOB. “Two, three years from now, you can start to see (the impact) in our balance sheet.”

    He was speaking at the bank’s second-quarter earnings call on Thursday (Aug 7), for the three months ended Jun 30, 2025.

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