14

Banking across borders

International banking

Today it is not at all surprising to walk round any large city in the world and find the familiar name of a bank from your own country. The biggest banks are known throughout the world and banking has become a truly international business. International banking means banking business conducted across national borders and/or with foreign currencies. This can be retail or wholesale banking, personal or corporate banking, as well as investment banking. The main centres for international banking are the UK and USA, and the most widely used currency is the US dollar. Table 14.1 lists the 20 largest banks in 2012 rated by their total assets.

Internationalisation

Once trading expanded beyond national ...

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