International Trade Blog

In an ideal world, a seller always gets paid before they ship their goods.

In an ideal world, a buyer always receive their order before they pay for their purchase.

Obviously, both the buyer and seller can't live in an ideal world. Their ideal worlds conflict. Most likely, neither party lives in an ideal world, so they need to work together to find the right payment term that will meet both their needs. This is particularly true in international trade.

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For exporters, any sale is a gift until payment is received. For importers, any payment is a donation until the goods are received. Successful exporters and importers recognize this conundrum and are able to negotiate payment terms that recognize the inherent risk and yet meet the needs of both parties.

There are five primary methods of payment in international trade that range from most to least secure. Of course, the most secure method for the exporter is the least secure method for the importer and vice versa. They key is striking the right balance for both sides. This article focuses on open account.

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There's no point in getting involved in international trade if you're not getting paid for your exports. It's up to you as the exporter to choose an appropriate payment method that minimizes payment risk while also accommodating the needs of the buyer.

There are five primary methods of payment in international trade that range from most to least secure. Of course, the most secure method for the exporter is the least secure method for the importer and vice versa. They key is striking the right balance for both sides. This article focuses on documentary collections.

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Many exporters become frustrated when they have shipped goods and then have to prepare documents to conform to the terms of the letter of credit. They suddenly realize they have to prepare or find certain documents that they did not anticipate, or they cannot meet other surprise requirements.

One frustrated exporter exclaimed, "Why would a foreign bank write a letter of credit with all these unacceptable terms and conditions?"

What a great question to ask! Let’s discuss it and find the answer.

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One of the most important international trade considerations is how you are going to get paid for your exports. While relying on cash up front may eliminate the risk of non-payment, it limits your universe of potential customers since it can cause cash flow and other problems for the buyers.

There are five primary methods of payment in international trade that range from most to least secure. Of course, the most secure method for the exporter is the least secure method for the importer and vice versa. They key is striking the right balance for both sides. This article focuses on letters of credit.

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Dear Cathy,

Our firm has just begun to use letters of credit for our transactions, and I am the only one who is responsible for preparing all of the documents. What a headache!

Here's a situation that I faced just last week: The buyer's forwarder is booking the cargo with the ocean carrier. He told me that the earliest we can get our product on the ship is in two weeks, but that is after the unconfirmed letter of credit expires for shipping. Our customer is in India. They told us in an email to just go ahead and ship the goods and they will advise their bank to waive the discrepancies.

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There is no point in exporting if you don't get paid for your products. Therefore it's important to select the appropriate payment method to minimize the payment risk while also accommodating the needs of the buyer.

As I pointed out in a previous article, there are five primary methods of payment for international transactions. This article focuses on the cash-in-advance option.

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To succeed in international trade and win sales against foreign competitors, exporters must offer their customers attractive sales terms supported by the appropriate payment methods.

Since getting paid in full and on time is the ultimate goal for each export sale, you need to choose the appropriate payment method that minimizes payment risk while also accommodating the needs of the buyer.

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Unfortunately, once both parties agree to the method of payment, sellers frequently don’t give much thought to the actual terms and conditions that are contained in the letter of credit. This is a mistake, and it can lead to a world of problems.

As the seller, you should pay particular attention to the international bill of lading requirements in the letter of credit.

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I know there are companies out there that never look at their letters of credit (LC) until they are ready to present documents to the bank. Once they’ve received one from their customer, they assume it’s as good as gold and immediately put it away for safekeeping.

This practice sends shivers down my spine!

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