When a Feeder Vessel Is an Ocean Vessel A reader’s question to Mr. Old Man on interpreting Bills of Lading in transshipment cases Introduction In container trade, it’s common to see Bills of Lading (B/Ls) that mention both a feeder vessel and a mother vessel. However, confusion often arises when the same vessel appears as both the “Feeder Vessel” and “Ocean Vessel” on different pages of the B/L. … Read More
Quy tắc 24 giờ chuyển khoản – Bài học từ Singapore Chuyển tiền online 24/7 đã trở thành một phần không thể thiếu trong đời sống hiện đại. Chỉ vài thao tác trên điện thoại, tiền có thể đến tay người nhận trong chớp mắt. Nhưng chính sự tiện lợi ấy lại khiến không ít người trả giá đắt — hàng loạt vụ lừa đảo chuyển tiền qua mạng đang gia … Read More
When the Confirming Bank Goes Insolvent — What Happens Next? Intro Confirmed LCs are designed to give exporters peace of mind — the comfort that even if the issuing bank or its country faces trouble, a confirming bank (often in the exporter’s own country) will step in and pay. But what if the confirming bank itself goes under before documents are presented? This question, raised by Ts., is not just … Read More
Five Banking Days — and When to Pay INTRO Everyone in trade finance knows the famous “five banking days” rule under UCP 600 — but confusion often arises about what happens after those five days. If the bank finds the documents complying, must it pay right away? Or can it wait until the fifth day (or even later) to release the funds? _____ QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, … Read More
Does “Mail Advice of Negotiation” Delay Payment under the LC? INTRO Every now and then, someone spots a mysterious line in Field 78 of a letter of credit and starts to wonder if it hides a trap. One of those lines reads: “On receipt of mail advice of negotiation, we shall cover as per instruction received.” Does that mean the issuing bank won’t pay until they receive such a “mail … Read More
Once in a while, a little flower falls my way Not money from the sky, but a kind mention from Narendra Kumar Kalra, a respected international trade consultant, who shared my post “Sanctions vs. Honour: What If the LC Has No Sanctions Clause?” on LinkedIn. For someone long “retired from the battlefield,” being remembered by fellow trade finance professionals — and seeing that old slogan still alive — “For those … Read More
ONE GUARANTEE ISSUED AGAINST MORE THAN ONE COUNTER-GUARANTEE (When one guarantee has two “parents”) INTRO Every now and then, a guarantee comes into this world with not one, but two proud parents — two counter-guarantors, each claiming their share of responsibility. Sounds like a happy family? Well, it can be… provided everyone knows exactly who pays what when the baby cries. That’s exactly the situation raised in this … Read More
Can the Second Confirming Bank Claim from the First Confirming Bank? Intro In practice, some letters of credit carry dual confirmation — one by the confirming bank nominated by the issuing bank, and another by a local bank in the beneficiary’s country. While this arrangement may look like extra protection, it can also create confusion over reimbursement responsibilities if the chain of document presentation is broken. The following case raises a … Read More
Can the Collecting Bank Release the Documents to the Buyer after Sending Advice of Non-Payment? ________ In documentary collections, things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes the buyer initially refuses to pay under a Documents against Payment (D/P) collection, only to come back the next day ready to settle and collect the goods. But what if, by then, the collecting bank has already reported the buyer’s refusal and is waiting for the remitting bank’s instructions? … Read More
When “All Originals” Really Means All Originals — Insurance Policies under LC In documentary credit practice, few phrases cause as much confusion as “all originals must be presented.” This Q&A looks at what happens when an insurance policy under LC says “3 originals issued” — and why missing even one can turn a clean presentation into a discrepancy. QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, We issued an LC with a condition that one … Read More