Underwriting Standards for Trade Finance Deals: How Financely Screens, Prices, and Mitigates Risk
 
 1 — Borrower Quality – The Eligibility Gate
 
 Financely backs importers, exporters, processors, and distributors with at least two audited years of profitability and ≥ USD 10 million EBITDA. Key ratios:
 
  -  Net-debt-to-EBITDA < 3.5 × 
post-facility;
-  DSCR > 1.25 × 
based on forward cash-flow;
-  Equity cushion > 25 % 
of total capital employed.
Management must show a verifiable trading record, clean KYC, and no unresolved sanctions or AML flags.
 
 2 — Collateral Control – Perfecting the Security
 
 We analyse control points across the supply chain:
 
  -  Warehouse receipts or title docs 
endorsed to the security agent;
-  Assignment of export contracts 
or purchase orders to lock receivable flows;
-  Pledge of collection accounts 
under blocked-account control or cash-sweep triggers;
-  Marine cargo & stock throughput insurance 
naming lenders as loss-payees.
3 — Cash-Conversion-Cycle Metrics
 
 We model the transaction timeline from supplier payment to end-buyer settlement. Acceptable windows:
 
    | Commodity Class | Max Tenor (Days) | Typical Margin Call Window | 
 
 
   | Refined fuels | 45 | Daily | 
 
  | Agricultural bulk | 90 | Weekly | 
 
  | Base metals | 120 | Daily/Weekly | 
 
 
 
 If cycle days exceed commodity norms, we layer an availability haircut or require additional collateral.
 
 4 — Facility Typology & Covenant Grid
 
 Documentary Letter of Credit (DLC)
 
  - Issued under UCP 600; sight or usance < 180 days;
- Back-to-back LC permitted where confirmed by an investment-grade bank;
- Trade-to-document ratio tested: compliant docs must cover ≥ 103 % of invoice value.
Standby LC-Backed Revolver
 
  - ISP 98 standby from rated bank posted as collateral;
- Borrowing base = 85 % of eligible receivables + 70 % of inventory (LTV resets monthly);
- Automatic cash sweep if collateral coverage dips below 110 %.
Pre-Export Finance (PXF)
 
  - Off-take contract assigned; advance rate 60–70 % of discounted invoice stream;
- Minimum two-party trigger insurance on political-risk jurisdictions;
- Forward-sales hedge mandated when revenue is linked to LME or ICE indices.
5 — Risk-Transfer & Hedging Requirements
 
  -  Commodity Price Risk 
– Futures or swaps to neutralise outright exposure; options overlay for inventory > 60 days.
-  FX Mismatch 
– Forward contracts or NDFs aligning payables and receivables currencies.
-  Counterparty Risk 
– Payment guarantees or credit insurance if end-buyers are sub-investment-grade.
6 — Approval & Monitoring Workflow
 
  -  Credit Committee 
– unanimous vote required for tenors > 90 days or exposure > USD 20 million;
-  Disbursement Conditions 
– all collateral perfected, insurance in force, hedges executed;
-  Ongoing Reporting 
– weekly position & mark-to-market; monthly management accounts; auditor sign-off annually;
-  Early-Warning Triggers 
– margin calls, covenant breaches, or payment delays automatically limit new drawdowns pending cure.
7 — Why We Decline Deals
 
  - Zero equity or first-loss share from the borrower;
- Unverified commodity title or storage control;
- Speculative arbitrage with no hedging strategy;
- Borrowers unwilling to accept financial-reporting covenants.
8 — Alignment of Incentives
 
 Financely earns its largest fee tranche when the transaction closes and performs. Declining weak files protects our P&L and our lender relationships. Our underwriting team is therefore hard-wired to prioritise quality over deal count.
 
 Questions?
 
 For a detailed term-sheet review, email info@financely-group.com 
or submit your draft transaction through the client portal for a 48-hour feasibility opinion.