Introduction: Trade Finance is a fascinating field that combines banking, international trade, logistics, law, and risk management. Many professionals from different backgrounds are now considering it as a long-term career but often wonder where to start. The following question comes from a business analyst preparing for the IIBF-CITF certification and seeking guidance on building a solid foundation in international trade. …

Introduction A reader asked whether an issuing bank may agree to amend a letter of credit by removing the phrase “irrespective of percentage” from the insurance requirement. Would such an amendment create any risk for the bank, particularly where the insurance policy or certificate is required to be endorsed in favour of the issuing bank? The answer lies in understanding …

Introduction Under UCP 600, banks examine whether the documents presented comply with the terms and conditions of the letter of credit. A common question is whether an insurance document is acceptable when it provides broader insurance coverage than that stipulated in the credit. In this Q&A, Mr. Old Man explains why an insurance document evidencing Institute Cargo Clauses (A) (ICC …

Introduction When an applicant requests an amendment to increase the value of a documentary credit, banks often require supporting commercial documents to justify the amendment. But what if the beneficiary refuses to issue a revised proforma invoice or to indicate that the invoice has been revised? Is the issuing bank still able to process the amendment? The following Q&A discusses …

A transferable letter of credit allows the first beneficiary to transfer all or part of its rights under the credit to a second beneficiary. While UCP 600 permits certain terms of the transferred credit to be reduced or curtailed, not every provision may be changed. In this Q&A, a reader asks whether the deferred payment period in a transferred credit …

A bill of lading issued “to order” is commonly endorsed by the shipper after issuance to transfer title to the goods. But what happens if an endorsement is mistakenly made by the wrong party, then crossed out and replaced by the correct endorsement? Does such a change constitute a correction to the bill of lading requiring authentication under ISBP 821 …

Under UCP 600, the place where a credit is available is normally also the place for presentation. Accordingly, when a credit is available with the issuing bank, the expiry place would ordinarily be the issuing bank’s counter. But what happens when an LC is available with the issuing bank while the place of expiry is stated to be the beneficiary’s …

Letters of credit financed by international development institutions such as the World Bank (WB) are quite different from ordinary commercial LCs. They are often issued as non-operative credits and become operative only after the donor issues a separate payment or reimbursement commitment. The following question discusses one practical example. Question Dear Mr. Old Man, I have a question and would …

One of the less obvious issues under ISBP 821 concerns the consignee shown on a certificate of origin when the letter of credit requires a bill of lading to be issued or endorsed to the order of the issuing bank. Does it matter if the bill of lading is originally issued to the order of the beneficiary and only later …

A change in the identity of the beneficiary under a demand guarantee may arise not from a transfer of the guarantee, but from legal succession under the applicable law, such as inheritance or donation. In such cases, should the guarantor treat the change as a transfer under Article 33 of URDG 758, or simply amend the guarantee to acknowledge the …