QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, Thank you very much for your reply and guidance. I have benefited a great deal from your explanations. Regarding the payment method mentioned in my previous email, I learned of a new practice yesterday and would like to ask for your assessment: The transaction method I referred to has gradually developed in recent years. Currently, …

QUESTION  Dear Mr. Old Man, I hope this message finds you well. Please forgive my intrusion but having seen your highly professional explanations on letters of credit, I would like to consult you on a professional matter. I am a trader from China, and as I am still in the initial stages of my business, I have some confusion regarding …

In the world of trade finance, bank guarantees (BGs) can sometimes look like magic shields — protecting one party’s interests when the other doesn’t deliver. But when it comes to transferring those guarantees or getting paid under tricky conditions, things get murky fast. This week, a trader writes in about a “transferable” BG and a payment condition tied to a …

QUESTION Dear Sir, Hope everything is in good spirits. I wanted your valuable feedback on this scenario of calculation of the maturity date. Now, let say we have received the bill of USD 100,000.00 with multiple truck receipts with dates ranging from 01.06.2025 to 20.06.2025.  The usance period is 60 days from  the T/R date. Currently the due date for the …

 QUESTION  Dear Mr. Old Man, We presented documents under an LC that were in full compliance, but the issuing bank still raised one or two discrepancies and deducted a discrepancy fee from the proceeds. We dispute the discrepancies and have asked the issuing bank to refund the fee that was wrongly deducted. However, the bank either insists the discrepancies are …

Two nights ago, just before midnight, a friend of mine—an in-house lawyer at a Korean bank (let’s call it Bank K)—sent me an email asking if I could recommend a Vietnamese lawyer to assist one of his clients. The client had fallen victim to a scam involving a fund transfer to a beneficiary account at a Vietnamese bank (let’s call …

 QUESTION Dear Sir, Greetings from Himalayan Bank!!! I am here to ask for your valuable suggestion on below. Bill of Lading mentions Shipper as Third party acting on behalf of the Beneficiary but there is no provision for third party in the credit. Does this mean the third party is an authorized agent acting for the beneficiary? Can this be …

QUESTION Hi Sir, Request your opinion on the below. LC F 44B: BANGKOK THAILAND PAT BL place of Delivery: Bangkok Thailand. We have received a refusal from the issuing bank stating Place of Delivery in BL not as per LC. Please advise if this is a valid refusal and whether this can be refuted. Regards, PSP ___ ANSWER Hi, Field …

Mr. Old Man’s Note: For exporters using Letters of Credit (L/Cs), document checking fees are a recurring cost—and often a point of frustration. What happens when your own bank says your documents are complying, but the issuing bank still finds discrepancies? In this piece, I share a real question from an exporter and a practical response from yours truly. Sometimes …

 QUESTION Dear Sir, Good day and hope you’re doing well! Today marks a rather special occasion as our country prepares to enter a new phase with significant changes ahead. On this occasion, I have an interesting question that I hope you could kindly take some time to help clarify. According to Resolution No. 1682/NQ-UBTVQH15 regarding the reorganization of administrative units, …