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Trade finance

We offer secure and reliable import and export trade finance solutions for corporate customers. Our product portfolio supports your market growth by mitigating risk and optimizing liquidity. Being responsive to your needs, we work together to find the best fit, built on standardized products as well as adapted to your needs.

International trade often includes higher risks than domestic trade. The risks could be geopolitical, regulatory, commercial, environmental and financial, among others. In addition, the trade parties have different needs they must manage during the full supply chain. Faster payments, extended payment terms, securities and financing are often needed.

SEB offers secure and reliable import and export Trade finance solutions for corporate customers. By securing or mitigating trade  related risks, we enable your business to trade  and improve cash flow and to optimize liquidity. SEB’s Trade finance product solutions supports your market growth.

SEB’s Trade finance solutions includes Guarantees, Letters of Credit and Collections. In addition, financing solutions are offered under these products or independently.  

Guarantees

As our client, you can use guarantees to support your international trading activities and facilitate your growth into new markets. Guarantees offer your trading partners the assurance of SEB's commitment to pay a sum of money to them in specified situations.

For exporters, guarantees can assist in the management of cash flow by enabling the release of cash from your buyers at an earlier stage in your contract. We also provide clearing guarantees for stock exchanges within the financial and capital markets as well as rental guarantees for offices and retail space.

Guarantees represent a complex area and at SEB, we possess a great depth of experience both in terms of technical knowledge and geographies. Our range of guarantees includes Tender or Bid Guarantees, Advance Payment Guarantees, Performance Guarantees, Retention Guarantees, Warranty Guarantees, Payment Guarantees, Loan Guarantees, Bill of Lading or Steamship Guarantees and Maintenance Guarantees.

Letters of credit

Letters of credit suits well for companies active in trading with politically unstable and economically weak countries. If you import, a Letters of Credit could minimize the risk of wrong deliveries since the bank only pay if the seller could show the documents you and the seller have agreed upon in the contract. If you export, the Letters of Credit will secure the payment from the buyer. If the exporter is not prepared to assume the risk on the buyer's bank, the exporter could ask its bank for confirmation of the Letters of Credit.

With a correct structure, the Letters of credit will offer you financing possibilities. An importer could be offered deferred payment but the exporter could receive funds upon delivery through discounting.

SEB can help you with the confirmation, discounting and pre-checking of documents.

A Documentary Collection

A Documentary Collection is a payment form which can be used by a Seller/buyer in order to strengthen its position in a transaction. In a Documentary Collection, the Seller's and Buyer's banks channel the documents but they do not undertake to make any payments themselves. A Buyer does not require a credit limit at his/her bank if importing on a collection basis, unlike other methods of international trade where a suitable credit facility, such as Letters of Credit, is required.