USA Trade Finance: Bridge Capital & Letters of Credit
You need cash that lands on time and paper that clears credit. We arrange bridge capital and letters of credit for U.S. importers, exporters, and processors. The toolkit is direct. Confirmed and UPAS LCs, SBLC or APG backed prepayments, receivables purchase, inventory repo, forfaiting, and LC discounting. Controls are tight. Title, insurance, proceeds traps, UCC filings, and account control agreements.
“We were stuck waiting on buyer funds. The team confirmed the LC and discounted at presentation. Cash hit in 3 days.”
★★★★★
CFO, U.S. industrial distributor
Use the right terms
Say this:
confirmed LC
, UPAS LC
, standby LC under ISP98
, Advance Payment Guarantee under URDG758
, receivables purchase under URC522
, inventory repo with collateral control
, UCC-1 filing
, blocked account or DDA control agreement.
Not this:
“BG lease,” “instrument monetization,” or “success only with no documents.” That does not clear any U.S. credit committee.
Service snapshot
Facility types
|
Bridge capital for shipments and inventory, DLC at sight with or without confirmation, UPAS LC, SBLC or APG backed prepayment, receivables purchase, inventory repo, forfaiting, LC confirmation and discounting |
Typical size
|
USD 10M to 300M per program. Smaller draws can sit inside a larger line |
Tenor
|
30 to 180 days for trade cycles. Up to 12 months for standby support and structured bridges |
Pricing
|
Base rate plus margin on LC based structures. Discount rate or fee on receivables and repo lines. Price tracks credit, tenor, and controls |
Controls
|
Title and insurance verified, UCC-1 and intercreditor where needed, blocked accounts, lockbox or cash dominion, collateral managers for stock, OFAC and AML clean |
Eligibility
|
Post revenue traders and processors with audits or reviewed accounts, real contracts, acceptable counterparties and corridors, workable controls |
Retainer
|
USD 50,000 to 150,000 based on scope and speed |
Success fee
|
2 percent of funded amounts, paid from proceeds at draw |
Timeline
|
30 to 75 days from a complete data room and cleared KYC |
What qualifies vs what will not
Fundable profiles
- Signed trade contracts with INCOTERMS and specs that match
- Audits or reviewed accounts and clean bank statements
- Known buyers or suppliers with acceptable credit
- Title, insurance, blocked account and proceeds traps agreed up front
Unfundable asks
- “BG lease” or “monetization” stories
- No source documents or unverifiable supply chains
- Sanctioned counterparties or failed KYC
- Success only with no budget for legal, inspection, or collateral control
Bridge capital use cases
- Import bridge
to cover production and pre-shipment with UPAS LC or SBLC support
- Export bridge
against take-or-pay or LC deferred payment obligations
- Inventory bridge
with repo, collateral managers, and exit via sales proceeds
- Receivables bridge
for accepted drafts, LC acceptances, or clean invoices to rated buyers
- Seasonal bulge
lines for peak procurement with cash dominion
Letters of credit playbook
Need
|
Structure
|
Cash effect
|
Supplier wants cash before loading |
UPAS LC or SBLC backed prepayment with escrow and shipment milestones |
Supplier paid at sight. Buyer pays at tenor |
Buyer wants 90 to 180 day terms |
Confirmed or insured LC with discounting at presentation or acceptance |
You convert paper to near cash |
Large shipment needs comfort |
Standby LC or APG with hard performance conditions |
Counterparty risk reduced so the deal closes |
Our process
1) Intake
NDA, KYC, OFAC checks. Data room with contracts, specs, shipping plan, and financials
2) Underwriting
Structure against risk, tenor, and controls. Draft term sheets. Line up collateral managers and insurers
3) Placement
Run active banks and funds on your corridor and commodity. Lock allocations
4) Closing
Paper the facility. Issue instruments. Move funds against documents. Monitor performance
What we need to start
- Trade pack per deal: contract or pro forma, specs, INCOTERMS, delivery plan, insurance
- Three years audited or reviewed accounts plus latest management statements
- Top customers and suppliers by volume with payment terms and history
- UBO chart, corporate documents, signatories, and sanctions screening
- Agreement on controls: UCC-1, blocked account or cash dominion, collateral management where relevant
Request a Term Sheet for USA Trade Finance
Share your contracts, corridors, and target size. You will get a workable structure, controls, timeline, and a pricing range.
Request a Term Sheet
Financely is an advisory and placement firm. We are not a bank. All engagements require KYC, AML, and OFAC screening. Instruments follow UCP600, URC522, ISP98, or URDG758 as applicable. Eligibility depends on lender or insurer approval and country limits. No guaranteed outcomes. Any securities activity is conducted through a licensed chaperone, Member FINRA and SIPC.