Passage Three

In the simplest form of international trade, the open-account basis, banks actually have only a simple transactions role. In the open-account basis, the importer and exporter are well known to each other and probably have established a successful working relationship. The importer orders goods and promptly pays for them when the goods and title thereto are received. Almost as simple is the foreign collection basis, in which a bank is used to transmit collected funds. Before the goods it has bought can be shipped, the importer must place funds with its bank so that the exporter is assured that payment will be made with collected funds. In this instance, the bank is merely an agent and not a lender.

In open-account basis the importer and exporter have established a successful working relationship.