What are two factors that can lead to a lack of trust in an export transaction?

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To succeed in today’s global marketplace and win sales against foreign competitors, exporters must offer their customers attractive sales terms supported by the appropriate payment methods. Because getting paid in full and on time is the ultimate goal for each export sale, an appropriate payment method must be chosen carefully to minimize the payment risk while also accommodating the needs of the buyer. As shown in figure 1, there are five primary methods of payment for international transactions. During or before contract negotiations, you should consider which method in the figure is mutually desirable for you and your customer.

New Payment Risk Diagram – To Be Created by Designer

Figure 1: Payment Risk Diagram

• International trade presents a spectrum of risk, which causes uncertainty over the timing of payments between the exporter (seller) and importer (foreign buyer).
• For exporters, any sale is a gift until payment is received.
• Therefore, exporters want to receive payment as soon as possible, preferably as soon as an order is placed or before the goods are sent to the importer.
• For importers, any payment is a donation until the goods are received.
• Therefore, importers want to receive the goods as soon as possible but to delay payment as long as possible, preferably until after the goods are resold to generate enough income to pay the exporter.

With cash-in-advance payment terms, an exporter can avoid credit risk because payment is received before the ownership of the goods is transferred. For international sales, wire transfers and credit cards are the most commonly used cash-in-advance options available to exporters. With the advancement of the Internet, escrow services are becoming another cash-in-advance option for small export transactions. However, requiring payment in advance is the least attractive option for the buyer, because it creates unfavorable cash flow. Foreign buyers are also concerned that the goods may not be sent if payment is made in advance. Thus, exporters who insist on this payment method as their sole manner of doing business may lose to competitors who offer more attractive payment terms.

Letters of credit (LCs) are one of the most secure instruments available to international traders. An LC is a commitment by a bank on behalf of the buyer that payment will be made to the exporter, provided that the terms and conditions stated in the LC have been met, as verified through the presentation of all required documents. The buyer establishes credit and pays his or her bank to render this service. An LC is useful when reliable credit information about a foreign buyer is difficult to obtain, but the exporter is satisfied with the creditworthiness of the buyer’s foreign bank. An LC also protects the buyer since no payment obligation arises until the goods have been shipped as promised.

A documentary collection (D/C) is a transaction whereby the exporter entrusts the collection of the payment for a sale to its bank (remitting bank), which sends the documents that its buyer needs to the importer’s bank (collecting bank), with instructions to release the documents to the buyer for payment. Funds are received from the importer and remitted to the exporter through the banks involved in the collection in exchange for those documents. D/Cs involve using a draft that requires the importer to pay the face amount either at sight (document against payment) or on a specified date (document against acceptance). The collection letter gives instructions that specify the documents required for the transfer of title to the goods. Although banks do act as facilitators for their clients, D/Cs offer no verification process and limited recourse in the event of non-payment. D/Cs are generally less expensive than LCs.

An open account transaction is a sale where the goods are shipped and delivered before payment is due, which in international sales is typically in 30, 60 or 90 days. Obviously, this is one of the most advantageous options to the importer in terms of cash flow and cost, but it is consequently one of the highest risk options for an exporter. Because of intense competition in export markets, foreign buyers often press exporters for open account terms since the extension of credit by the seller to the buyer is more common abroad. Therefore, exporters who are reluctant to extend credit may lose a sale to their competitors. Exporters can offer competitive open account terms while substantially mitigating the risk of non-payment by using one or more of the appropriate trade finance techniques covered later in this Guide. When offering open account terms, the exporter can seek extra protection using export credit insurance.

Consignment in international trade is a variation of open account in which payment is sent to the exporter only after the goods have been sold by the foreign distributor to the end customer. An international consignment transaction is based on a contractual arrangement in which the foreign distributor receives, manages, and sells the goods for the exporter who retains title to the goods until they are sold. Clearly, exporting on consignment is very risky as the exporter is not guaranteed any payment and its goods are in a foreign country in the hands of an independent distributor or agent. Consignment helps exporters become more competitive on the basis of better availability and faster delivery of goods. Selling on consignment can also help exporters reduce the direct costs of storing and managing inventory. The key to success in exporting on consignment is to partner with a reputable and trustworthy foreign distributor or a third-party logistics provider. Appropriate insurance should be in place to cover consigned goods in transit or in possession of a foreign distributor as well as to mitigate the risk of non-payment.

In today’s global economy, consumers are used to seeing products from every corner of the world in their local grocery stores and retail shops. These overseas products—or imports—provide more choices to consumers. And because they are usually manufactured more cheaply than any domestically-produced equivalent, imports help consumers manage their strained household budgets.

• A country's importing and exporting activity can influence its GDP, its exchange rate, and its level of inflation and interest rates.
• A rising level of imports and a growing trade deficit can have a negative effect on a country's exchange rate.
• A weaker domestic currency stimulates exports and makes imports more expensive; conversely, a strong domestic currency hampers exports and makes imports cheaper.
• Higher inflation can also impact exports by having a direct impact on input costs such as materials and labor.

When there are too many imports coming into a country in relation to its exports—which are products shipped from that country to a foreign destination—it can distort a nation’s balance of trade and devalue its currency. The devaluation of a country's currency can have a huge impact on the everyday life of a country's citizens because the value of a currency is one of the biggest determinants of a nation’s economic performance and its gross domestic product (GDP). Maintaining the appropriate balance of imports and exports is crucial for a country. The importing and exporting activity of a country can influence a country's GDP, its exchange rate, and its level of inflation and interest rates.

Gross domestic product (GDP) is a broad measurement of a nation's overall economic activity. Imports and exports are important components of the expenditures method of calculating GDP. The formula for GDP is as follows:

 GDP = C + I + G + ( X − M ) where: C = Consumer spending on goods and services I = Investment spending on business capital goods G = Government spending on public goods and services X = Exports M = Imports \begin{aligned} &\text{GDP} = C + I + G + ( X - M ) \\ &\textbf{where:} \\ &C = \text{Consumer spending on goods and services} \\ &I = \text{Investment spending on business capital goods} \\ &G = \text{Government spending on public goods and services} \\ &X = \text{Exports} \\ &M = \text{Imports} \\ \end{aligned} ​GDP=C+I+G+(X−M)where:C=Consumer spending on goods and servicesI=Investment spending on business capital goodsG=Government spending on public goods and servicesX=ExportsM=Imports​

In this equation, exports minus imports (X – M) equals net exports. When exports exceed imports, the net exports figure is positive. This indicates that a country has a trade surplus. When exports are less than imports, the net exports figure is negative. This indicates that the nation has a trade deficit.

A trade surplus contributes to economic growth in a country. When there are more exports, it means that there is a high level of output from a country's factories and industrial facilities, as well as a greater number of people that are being employed in order to keep these factories in operation. When a company is exporting a high level of goods, this also equates to a flow of funds into the country, which stimulates consumer spending and contributes to economic growth.

When a country is importing goods, this represents an outflow of funds from that country. Local companies are the importers and they make payments to overseas entities, or the exporters. A high level of imports indicates robust domestic demand and a growing economy. If these imports are mainly productive assets, such as machinery and equipment, this is even more favorable for a country since productive assets will improve the economy's productivity over the long run.

A healthy economy is one where both exports and imports are experiencing growth. This typically indicates economic strength and a sustainable trade surplus or deficit. If exports are growing, but imports have declined significantly, it may indicate that foreign economies are in better shape than the domestic economy. Conversely, if exports fall sharply but imports surge, this may indicate that the domestic economy is faring better than overseas markets.

For example, the U.S. trade deficit tends to worsen when the economy is growing strongly. This is the level at which U.S. imports exceed U.S. exports. However, the U.S.’s chronic trade deficit has not impeded it from continuing to have one of the most productive economies in the world.

However, in general, a rising level of imports and a growing trade deficit can have a negative effect on one key economic variable, which is a country's exchange rate, the level at which their domestic currency is valued versus foreign currencies.

The relationship between a nation’s imports and exports and its exchange rate is complicated because there is a constant feedback loop between international trade and the way a country's currency is valued. The exchange rate has an effect on the trade surplus or deficit, which in turn affects the exchange rate, and so on. In general, however, a weaker domestic currency stimulates exports and makes imports more expensive. Conversely, a strong domestic currency hampers exports and makes imports cheaper.

For example, consider an electronic component priced at $10 in the U.S. that will be exported to India. Assume the exchange rate is 50 rupees to the U.S. dollar. Neglecting shipping and other transaction costs such as importing duties for now, the $10 electronic component would cost the Indian importer 500 rupees.

If the dollar were to strengthen against the Indian rupee to a level of 55 rupees (to one U.S. dollar), and assuming that the U.S. exporter does not increase the price of the component, its price would increase to 550 rupees ($10 x 55) for the Indian importer. This may force the Indian importer to look for cheaper components from other locations. The 10% appreciation in the dollar versus the rupee has thus diminished the U.S. exporter’s competitiveness in the Indian market.

At the same time, assuming again an exchange rate of 50 rupees to one U.S. dollar, consider a garment exporter in India whose primary market is in the U.S. A shirt that the exporter sells for $10 in the U.S. market would result in them receiving 500 rupees when the export proceeds are received (neglecting shipping and other costs).

If the rupee weakens to 55 rupees to one U.S. dollar, the exporter can now sell the shirt for $9.09 to receive the same amount of rupees (500). The 10% depreciation in the rupee versus the dollar has therefore improved the Indian exporter’s competitiveness in the U.S. market.

The result of the 10% appreciation of the dollar versus the rupee has rendered U.S. exports of electronic components uncompetitive, but it has made imported Indian shirts cheaper for U.S. consumers. The flip side is that a 10% depreciation of the rupee has improved the competitiveness of Indian garment exports, but has made imports of electronic components more expensive for Indian buyers.

When this scenario is multiplied by millions of transactions, currency moves can have a drastic impact on a country's imports and exports.

Inflation and interest rates affect imports and exports primarily through their influence on the exchange rate. Higher inflation typically leads to higher interest rates. Whether or not this results in a stronger currency or a weaker currency is not clear.

Traditional currency theory holds that a currency with a higher inflation rate (and consequently a higher interest rate) will depreciate against a currency with lower inflation and a lower interest rate. According to the theory of uncovered interest rate parity, the difference in interest rates between two countries equals the expected change in their exchange rate. So if the interest rate differential between two different countries is two percent, then the currency of the higher-interest-rate nation would be expected to depreciate two percent against the currency of the lower-interest-rate nation.

However, the low-interest-rate environment that has been the norm around most of the world since the 2008-09 global credit crisis has resulted in investors and speculators chasing the better yields offered by currencies with higher interest rates. This has had the effect of strengthening currencies that offer higher interest rates.

Of course, since these investors have to be confident that currency depreciation will not offset higher yields, this strategy is generally restricted to the stable currencies of nations with strong economic fundamentals.

A stronger domestic currency can have an adverse effect on exports and on the trade balance. Higher inflation can also impact exports by having a direct impact on input costs such as materials and labor. These higher costs can have a substantial impact on the competitiveness of exports in the international trade environment.

A nation’s merchandise trade balance report is the best source of information to track its imports and exports. This report is released monthly by most major nations.

The U.S. and Canada trade balance reports are generally released within the first ten days of the month, with a one-month lag , by the U.S. Census Bureau and Statistics Canada, respectively.

These reports contain a wealth of information, including details on the biggest trading partners, the largest product categories for imports and exports, and trends over time.