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, …

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 …

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 …

(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 …

________ 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? …

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 …

Intro In international trade, it’s becoming increasingly common for exporters to restructure their transaction models through a “sister company” abroad — often to optimize payment flows or take advantage of tax and logistics benefits. However, when a Letter of Credit (LC) is involved, this change can create uncertainty for the bank in Vietnam: can it still examine and present the …

Intro In maritime transport, when a General Average (GA) situation occurs, the shipowner often requires cargo owners to contribute or advance a sum of money as security for their share of the loss. So, if a customer wishes to remit such a deposit through the bank, what documents must be collected to comply with foreign exchange regulations? The following question …

Intro  Trong vận tải biển, khi xảy ra “tổn thất chung” (General Average), chủ tàu thường yêu cầu các chủ hàng phải đóng góp hoặc tạm ứng một khoản tiền để bảo đảm phần trách nhiệm của mình. Vậy nếu khách hàng muốn chuyển khoản đặt cọc này qua ngân hàng, thì cần nộp những chứng từ gì để tuân …

Intro In today’s trade finance world, sanctions compliance has become a minefield. Banks may find themselves caught between UCP obligations on one side and sanctions laws on the other. A recently raised a thought-provoking question — what if the LC itself says nothing about sanctions, yet the documents reveal shipment from a sanctioned port or on a sanctioned vessel? Here’s …