Acting on a rare opportunity, Travis and Amanda Austen secured a Snooze franchise with the support of a closely aligned broker and banker, combining speed with the right structure from day one.
18 June 2026
Beyond the headlines: what trade disruption means for your clients
NAB Executive, Specialist Banking, Jasmine Ashton shares how Australian businesses are navigating trade disruption, and the conversations brokers should be having right now.
What are you seeing play out for Australian businesses on the ground right now?
Our customers are still active, but sentiment is becoming more cautious. There's a clear undercurrent of concern that sustained cost pressures and the margin squeeze that comes with them, will start to weigh on demand as global uncertainty continues.
What's telling though, is that businesses aren’t retreating, they’re adapting. Among trading and wholesale customers in particular, we're seeing stronger utilisation across trade and invoice finance as businesses actively use working capital solutions to absorb rising costs and manage cash flow pressures more defensively.
Businesses are still investing and moving forward, but they're doing it more selectively and with a greater focus on resilience.
Which businesses are most exposed, and what should brokers be looking out for?
Businesses operating on thin margins with high exposure to input cost volatility are naturally more exposed. Transport and logistics is a clear example, where fuel remains a major cost driver, whilst for trading and wholesale businesses, that shows up in imported inventory priced in US dollars, stretched supplier terms and a reliance on a single supplier or currency. At the same time, many businesses pass increased costs through to end users, so ensuring contracts have the right mechanisms in place to do that is important.
Brokers who understand their clients' cost structures, supplier exposure and contract arrangements are well placed to identify pressure points early. The practical signals to watch for are payment terms stretching out, inventory building, fixed price contracts with no room to pass on costs, and facilities maturing in the next 6-12 months that will be priced higher. Staying close to customers is more important than ever in the current environment, and NAB's specialist bankers can help brokers navigate these conversations and identify solutions tailored to their customers’ needs.
What gives you confidence that businesses can navigate this period and come out ahead?
Businesses are showing real resilience. As Australia’s Biggest Business Bank1, we get a unique read on this through our own monthly business survey with capacity utilisation still sitting just above its long-run average despite the current environment and both forward orders and CapEx have edged higher even as confidence sits well below average.
Businesses that stay close to their bankers, get their funding structures right and ensure they have the right risk management support in place will be best positioned to respond as conditions shift – and to move quickly when opportunities arise.
What are the most important conversations brokers should be having with clients in this environment?
Brokers should be focused on helping clients strengthen cash flow resilience, protect margins and ensure their funding structures are flexible enough to respond quickly to opportunities. Trade and invoice finance are invaluable tools for managing cash flow in the current environment, while FX risk management is essential for protecting margins when currency volatility is elevated. Beyond that, interest rate management helps protect against funding cost volatility and equipment finance lets businesses fund the asset and preserve cash for working capital. NAB's specialist team works closely with brokers to bring that expertise directly to their customers – helping businesses navigate complexity and act with confidence.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for brokers to support customers in the period ahead?
For brokers, the opportunity is to step into a more advisory role – customers need guidance, not just capital. Demand remains strong for specialist solutions across working capital, markets and asset finance, and the greatest impact comes from connecting across products to deliver a whole-of-business solution.
As Australia’s largest business bank, NAB is committed to working alongside our broker partners to meet the needs of customers and deliver the outcomes they rely on – whatever the environment brings.
To find out more about how NAB can support your business customers with trade and working capital solutions, contact NAB Commercial Broker or visit nabbroker.com.au
1Based upon the combined value of business deposits and business lending according to Monthly Banking Statistics data (ex. non-financial corporations and government) published by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority as at April 2026.
How brokers can help businesses stay ahead in uncertain economic times
ARTICLE
NAB Economist Gareth Spence unpacks how brokers are well-positioned to support businesses seek guidance on funding, risk and growth decisions as they navigate economic uncertainty.