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Description

Trade Finance: Securing Transactions, Selecting Instruments and Monitoring Risk

Understand the mechanisms of international trade finance and advise exporting companies with confidence

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

A client announces a first export contract and asks how payment will be secured. Between documentary credits, documentary collections and bank guarantees, the relationship manager must understand who carries the risk, at what point payment becomes certain and which documents underpin the entire structure. A clause misread in a commercial contract is paid for later in disputes.

This short format works through the instruments one by one, from the company's underlying need to their handling by the bank. You leave able to read a transaction and guide a client towards the instrument that fits.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the risks carried by the buyer, the seller and the bank in an international transaction
  • Explain the mechanism of the documentary credit and the role of each party involved
  • Distinguish documentary collection, documentary credit and bank guarantee according to the need
  • Read the commercial and transport documents on which payment depends
  • Guide an exporting client towards the instrument suited to the transaction

What makes this programme different

The life cycle of a transaction is followed document by document, from commercial contract to payment
The most frequent documentary discrepancies are analysed using real anonymised document sets
A decision tree for selecting instruments is built and tested on cases brought by participants

Programme

1Risk in the International Transaction

Who carries what, and when

  • Commercial, political and non-transfer risks
  • Allocation of obligations between seller and buyer
  • Impact of Incoterms on the transfer of risk and costs
  • Currency selection and hedging of foreign exchange risk

2Payment and Guarantee Instruments

Choosing the right tool for the transaction

  • Clean collection and documentary collection
  • Irrevocable documentary credit, confirmed or unconfirmed
  • Standby letter of credit and the guarantee rationale
  • Bid bonds, advance payment guarantees and performance guarantees
  • Selection criteria based on the client, the country and the amount

3Document Handling

Payment is decided on the documents

  • Issuance of the credit and reading of its terms
  • Transport documents, invoice and certificates
  • Compliance checking and the notion of discrepancy
  • Handling discrepancies and waiver by the buyer
  • Monitoring maturities and closing the transaction

Who is it for

Corporate and business relationship managers, banking advisers and back-office staff discovering international trade finance.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with how a corporate banking relationship works and with the basic principles of short-term financing.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.