Structured Trade & Commodity Finance
Transactions stall when collateral control is weak, bank appetite is limited, or terms conflict with the commercial contract. We arrange structures tied to physical flows and verifiable cash receipts. Security is enforceable, conditions are clear, and the timetable to first draw is defined.
Recurring failures
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Insufficient lender appetite for country, counterparty, or commodity
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Title and control gaps between shipment, storage, and delivery
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LC or guarantee wording that conflicts with Incoterms or contract
What changes in our structures
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Funding aligned to offtake schedules, receivables, and inventory cycles
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Bankable controls: title, warehouse or tank receipts, account sweeps
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Dated draw plan with third-party verifications at each stage
Outcomes
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Liquidity sized to eligible collateral and proven flows
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Lower documentary and basis risk at presentation
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Clear takeout from collections, sweeps, or offtake prepayment
Deliverables
Bank-ready file
Contracts, Incoterms, logistics, insurance, sanctions screening, and hedging policy compiled to lender checklists with evidence links.
Security and controls
Title over goods, assignment of receivables, warehouse or tank receipts, controlled accounts, and automatic sweeps linked to invoices.
Execution oversight
Staged drawdowns against inspection, storage, or shipping evidence with variance reporting and corrective actions pre-agreed.
Structures
Flow-linked facilities
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Offtake-backed prepayments and receivables purchases
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Pre-export finance and tolling-based working capital
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Borrowing base lines across inventory and A/R
Inventory and title
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Warehouse or tank receipt finance with control terms
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Repos and tripartite storage arrangements with operators
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Assignment of export proceeds with waterfall and sweep
Payment instruments
Commercial LCs under UCP 600, standbys under ISP98, guarantees under URDG 758, and confirmation where required. Drafts are concise to reduce discrepancy risk.
Indicative terms
Advance and tenor
Advance sized to 60–85% of eligible value after reserves. Tenor 90–360 days on transactional lines, longer where offtake is firm.
Pricing and fees
Floating base such as SOFR or EURIBOR plus a spread reflecting route, collateral quality, and counterparty risk. Upfront and exit fees defined at mandate.
Covenants
Use of proceeds, hedging where price is open, minimum liquidity, eligibility tests, reporting on cargo, receivables, and storage balances.
Comparison
| Decision point |
Single bank template |
Generic brokerage |
Structured placement |
| Collateral control |
Standard wording |
Forwarded requirements |
Title, WRs, tank receipts, sweeps
mapped to each leg |
| Advance rate |
Conservative caps only |
Inconsistent sizing |
Eligibility tests
and reserves calibrated to risk |
| Document risk |
Limited guidance |
After-the-fact fixes |
Pre-checks
of drafts and shipping documents |
| Timeline control |
Queue dependent |
Unclear ownership |
Dated plan
to first draw and takeout |
Use-case playbooks
Offtake-backed prepayment
Signed offtake with price formula and delivery profile. Advance sized to a defined share of prepayment. Security over receivables and export proceeds with priority sweep.
Borrowing base revolving line
Availability on eligible inventory and A/R. Reserves for freight, taxes, and price moves. Monthly redetermination and concentration limits.
Pre-export and tolling
Funding linked to feedstock intake and output. Draws tied to plant, storage, and shipment milestones with inspection evidence.
Information required to proceed
Commercial
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Contract summary, Incoterms, routes, volumes, and delivery windows
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Buyer profiles, payment terms, and any confirmations requested
Collateral and operations
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Storage locations, WR or tank terms, insurance and loss payee clauses
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Account structure, sweep mechanics, and reporting frequency
KYC and risk
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Corporate documentation, ownership, sanctions and AML checks
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Hedging policy and margin control where price is open
Process to term sheet and first draw
1
Scope and structure
Map flows, collateral, and takeout. Select structure and set draw pattern against milestones and evidence.
2
Credit pack and market check
Issue an operator-grade file to selected lenders. Compare advance rates, reserves, pricing, covenants, and timing.
3
Documentation and CPs
Facility, security, assignments, account control, insurance, and verification procedures executed with a clear CP checklist.
4
Funding and monitoring
First draw released. Ongoing reporting on cargo, receivables, storage, and hedging with exceptions tracked to resolution.
FAQ
How are advances calculated
By eligible value after reserves for freight, duties, taxes, quality, and price volatility. Eligibility tests and concentration limits apply.
Can multiple buyers be pooled
Yes via receivables pools with notice, assignment, lockbox control, and periodic redetermination.
Do you arrange LC confirmation
Yes where a confirming bank accepts the country, bank, and tenor at a quoted price.
What collateral evidence is required
Clean title chain, warehouse or tank receipts with control terms, and account control agreements tied to invoices and sweeps.
How is commodity price risk addressed
Defined hedging policy with margin controls. Draw rules can link to hedged positions where exposure is open.
Can structures be combined
Yes. Facilities frequently blend borrowing base with transactional finance or offtake prepayment to lift availability.
Request structured trade finance terms
Share the contract summary, routes, storage terms, counterparties, target advance, and timing. A structure map, advance rates, and a dated plan to first draw will follow.
Start the Mandate
Arranger on a best-efforts basis. Eligibility is subject to KYC and AML, sanctions screening, technical and legal diligence, collateral verification, and lender approval. No commitment to lend is expressed or implied.