ABSTRACT
Money, the eventual reward of any trade transaction, becomes more elusive when one crosses national boundaries. Risks are greater because generally less is known about the debtor and there is less reliance on a foreign national authority to confirm and press a claim for collection. As this perception of uncertainty also holds for financial institutions, collateralizing to obtain funds from a pending trade transaction or one that has just concluded is more difficult as well. Further, geographic distances limit the retraction of a transaction gone sour. The return transport or the disposal of merchandise already delivered to a foreign port quickly becomes an untenable burden.
