Exporting and trade finance
A working reference for export documents, compliance checks and payment terms, written for people who handle shipments themselves.
Pick the part of the export process you need to fix first, then work through the guides for that step.
01
Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and bill of lading have to agree on names, quantities, weights and Incoterms. One mismatch between them is a common reason a shipment stalls at customs or a bank refuses documents. The guides walk through each document and the fields buyers and banks check first.
Export documentation and Incoterms
02
Export controls, sanctions lists and licensing requirements are cheaper to check before a price is agreed than after goods are booked. The compliance guides cover restricted-party screening, end-use questions worth asking a new buyer, and which records to keep so an audit does not depend on memory.
Trade compliance and export controls
03
An open account, a letter of credit and export credit insurance shift risk in different directions, and each one changes what you must document. The payment guides explain how letters of credit are examined, where discrepancies usually appear, and how to price terms that leave you carrying the buyer's risk.
Payment security and letters of credit
Payment security
A letter of credit pays only when the documents match its terms exactly, so the checklist starts at the contract, not the bank counter.
Three parts of the payment chain worth understanding before you quote a price or release goods.
Who arranges freight, who carries risk in transit, and who clears customs all shift with the Incoterm, and the payment method has to fit. An FOB shipment against a letter of credit needs documents that line up exactly with the LC terms; the same cargo sold on open account with a freight forwarder collecting on delivery works differently. Decide the term and the payment method together, not one after the other.
Export documentation and Incoterms
Export controls and sanctions checks apply to the counterparty, the goods, and the destination, and they come before the first shipment rather than after a problem. Keep a record of what you screened and when, because a bank reviewing a letter of credit or a customs broker filing an entry may ask for it. Restricted-party screening is a routine step, not a sign of suspicion.
Trade compliance and export controls
A letter of credit reduces non-payment risk but brings document checking, discrepancy fees, and a bank in the middle of every step. Open account is cheaper and faster until a buyer stretches payment terms. Export credit insurance or factoring can close part of that gap, at a price. Compare the cost of each option against your margin on the order instead of picking the one that sounds safest.
Payment security and letters of creditExport Documentation and Incoterms
A single mismatch between the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading can hold a shipment at the border while storage charges accrue.
Read the documentation guidesExporter Handbook
A working checklist covering commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin and the transport documents a bank or customs broker will ask for.
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