Understanding required data, Form M, and the limits of applicant–beneficiary agreements In documentary credit practice, credits sometimes require documents to indicate specific reference numbers issued by government authorities or other institutions. One example is Form M, a document used in Nigeria. Questions may arise when the importer does not want the number shown or indicates that discrepancies will be accepted. …

INTRO Every time a new version of ISBP is published, people read it carefully… and then real-life cases start raising new questions. That is how learning in trade finance usually works—not only from rules, but from practice. A reader recently sent me several thoughtful questions on ISBP 821. Since they touch on points many practitioners quietly wonder about, I thought …

(câu chuyện nhỏ trong nghề LC) Những ngày giáp Tết, dân làm LC thường chỉ mong mọi việc êm ả để còn yên tâm nghỉ lễ. Nhưng cách đây 4 năm, Mr. Old Man nhận được một tin nhắn Messenger khá “căng” từ bạn LN, đang làm tại Trung tâm Tài trợ Thương mại của một ngân hàng ở Việt …

(a small story from the LC trade) Real-life cases sometimes reveal gaps in existing guidance. Situations like the one described in this story were among the factors that eventually led to the inclusion of paragraph (ix) in the Preliminary considerations of ISBP 821. In the days leading up to Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, people working in letters of …

In day-to-day documentary credit work, seemingly small details—dates on insurance documents or wording in transport clauses—can lead to real examination dilemmas. A reader recently sent three practical questions that many trade finance practitioners have probably encountered at least once. Question Dear Mr. Old Man, Greetings of the day. I hope you are doing well. May I ask for your views …

Nearly five years into retirement, I thought I had finally hung up my sword. Turns out, life wasn’t quite ready to let me go. These days, I still find myself poking around my inbox every morning, replying to the usual questions about LC, SBLC, UCP, ISBP… Old habits die hard. This morning, a friend working at the trade finance center …

Intro In LC practice, dates on documents often matter more than the facts behind them. One of the most common traps is assuming that a document must reflect the “real” event date. In reality, banks can only judge what appears on the face of the document, not what happened in the warehouse or at the port. This short Q&A looks …

A Swift sent before expiry does not mean you’ve made a valid claim. In standby business, “documents will follow” can be the most expensive sentence of the year… A banker sent me a case that looks simple — until you read it carefully. And as always in standby LCs, the devil is hiding in one small word: “and”. The Case …

Intro Questions surrounding insurance documents remain one of the most frequent sources of discrepancy under documentary credits. One recurring issue is whether an insurance certificate showing the assured as “to order” – and endorsed by a party other than the beneficiary – is acceptable when the credit does not name an assured. The following case highlights how ISBP 821 and …

Introduction In practice, the terms negotiation and discounting are often used interchangeably in letter of credit (LC) transactions. However, under UCP 600, they are not the same. This Q&A clarifies the distinction—especially when an LC is available with a nominated bank by negotiation.  QUESTION Hi, I would like to understand the difference between negotiation and discounting, particularly in cases where …