New International Financing Resource

The International Trade Administration (ITA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has released the second edition of The Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters (TFG) on April 17, 2008. Since the release of the first edition in April 2007, over 5,000 printed copies have been distributed to the public and its online version has been downloaded approximately 20,000 times from the Commerce Department website. The 2008 edition can be downloaded by clicking on http://www.ita.doc.gov/media/publications/abstract/trade_finance_guide2008desc.html.

The TFG was developed to help U.S. exporters, specifically small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), gain practical knowledge of trade finance. The TFG helps SMEs learn how to manage the risks associated with doing business internationally and turn their export opportunities into paid sales. Twelve concise, two-page chapters offer the basics of numerous financing techniques, from open accounts, to export credit insurance, to government-assisted foreign buyer financing.

-- Stanley Pfrang