Handbook of international credit management / edited by Brian W. Clarke.

Contributor(s): Clarke, Brian W [editor].

Material type: materialTypeLabel

BookPublisher: Aldershot, Hants, England ; Brookfield, Vermont : Gower Publishing, [1989]Copyright date: ©1989Description: xxv, 507 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 056602764X (hardback); 9780566027642 (hardback).Subject(s): International business enterprises

| Credit -- Management

DDC classification: 658.88

Contents:

Part I: The international credit management function -- Part II: Assessment and management of credit risks -- Part III: Laying off the risk -- Part IV: Terms and conditions of sale -- Part V: Settlement methods -- Part VI: Getting paid -- Part VII: Finance and cash/currency management -- Part VIII: Organization and systems -- Part IX: International law.

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Call number	Copy number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
General Lending	MTU Bishopstown Library Store Item	658.88 (Browse shelf(Opens below))	1	Available		00027611

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This resource is an operating guide and training reference for the financial and control techniques necessary for international credit management. It covers all aspects of export credit management as well as the management of overseas subsidiary companies' credit operations, and describes tools available for all processes involved, from initial policy-making through final collection of trade debts. This third edition has been completely revised and partially rewritten to reflect recent developments in information technology, the advent of the Euro, and the effects of the Southeast Asian economic crisis. New chapters have been added on bank risk and international bankruptcy law. c. Book News Inc.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

List of figures (p. xi)
List of tables (p. xii)
Preface (p. xiii)
Notes on contributors (p. xv)
Part 1 The International Credit Management Function
1 The role of credit in world trade (p. 3)
The global village and the trend of world trade
The world debt crisis
The true cost of export credit
The credit function
Exporting companies and multinationals
Long-, medium- and short-term credit
Where to next?
Recommended reading
2 Responsibilities, expertise and resource (p. 12)
Responsibilities
Expertise
Resource
People
Supporting systems and other resources
Outsourcing
3 Agency representation (p. 17)
Appointing an agent and the agency agreement
Distributorship
Duties and obligations of the agent
Agency status
Commissions
Agency expenses
Del credere
Case of need
Debt collection: chasing overdues
Consignment accounts
Subsidiary or related companies acting as agents
Termination of agency
Recommended reading
4 Operating through subsidiaries and affiliates (p. 28)
At the dawn of the century
Organizational options
Manufacturing subsidiaries
National selling subsidiaries
Subsidiaries acting as commission agents
Joint ventures
Acquisitions
Re-invoicing and netting
Information systems for multinationals
Internal communication
Part 2 Assessment And Management Of Credit Risks
5 The range of risks (p. 43)
The real cost of credit
Customer risk
The need to assess customers' ability to pay
Payment behaviour
Why do companies fail?
Warning signs of insolvency
Insolvency/bankruptcy laws
Disputed debts as a risk
Credit risks in international trade
Political credit risks
The transfer risk
Bank risk
Future developments
Summary
6 Country risk assessment (p. 55)
The concept of country risk
Risk analysis as a tool
Sources of information
Structuring input
Evaluating data
A systematic approach to risk management
Country risk consultants
Recommended reading
7 Customer risk assessment (p. 70)
The role of information in credit risk assessment
Information availability and the impact on credit risk
The benefits of internal and external information
Sources of information
Expert systems/credit evaluation tools
Credit scoring
Interpretation of financial statements
Ratio analysis
Recommended reading
8 Assessing bank risk (p. 86)
Use of ratings
Information sources
Rating methodology
Basic approach to bank analysis
The risk matrix
Recommended reading
9 Risk management (p. 100)
Risk control in sales credit
Receivables statistics
Organization of credit management
Credit risk assessment
Credit limits
Credit risk categories
Day-to-day risk control
Opening a credit account
Doing business with marginal risk accounts
Controls for risky accounts
Risk control on overseas accounts
A checklist for good export risk control
Summary
Recommended reading
Part 3 Laying Off The Risk
10 Sharing the risk (p. 113)
Guarantees and avals
Confirming houses
Factoring
Forfaiting
Credit insurance
Letters of credit
Del credere
11 Credit insurance (p. 116)
General principles
Discretionary limit
Credit terms
The Consensus
The Berne Union
The International Credit Insurance Association (ICIA)
The private insurance market
Types of credit insurance
Global credit insurance policies
Self-insurance
Brokers
Summary
Recommended reading
Part 4 Terms And Conditions Of Sale
12 Terms and conditions for international trade (p. 131)
The international sales contract
Terms of delivery/trade terms
Incoterms
Terms and methods of payment
Interest and discount
Local currency exchange risk
Retention of title
Dispute resolution
Goods versus services
Pre-shipment inspection and price comparison
The importance of correct documentation
The trend towards electronic commerce
Recommended reading
13 Bonds and guarantees (p. 148)
Terminology and background
The nature of guarantees
The forms and sources of guarantees
Risks to the seller and means of minimizing them
Types of guarantee
Terms and conditions of guarantees
Conclusion
Recommended reading
Part 5 Settlement Methods
14 An outline of settlement methods (p. 161)
The main settlement methods
Transmission of funds
Recommended reading
15 Bills of exchange (p. 165)
Legal division of the world
Definitions
Salient formal features
The time for payment
Acceptance
Avals
Negotiation
Use of bills in export settlements
Payment
Protest
Promissory notes
Marginal substitutes
Applicable law
UN Convention on international bills of exchange
Recommended reading
16 Collections (p. 187)
Description of collections
The essence of a collection
Types of collections
URC main concepts
Parties involved in the collection process
The ICC Uniform Rules for Collections (URC)
Export finance and collection documents
Recurring issues
Control and monitoring of unpaid and unaccepted items
Adding more security
Protesting
Recommended reading
17 Documentary letters of credit (p. 210)
Definition
Forms and types of credit
Documentary credit failures: the core problem
The Uniform Customs and Practice (UCP)
The US Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), Article 5
The operation of the credit
Establishing credits
The quality of an irrevocable letter of credit
The quality of a confirmation
Checking the credit
Amendments to the credit
Presenting the documents
Special types of credit
Standby credits
Fraudulent credits
Future developments
Finale
Recommended reading
18 Countertrade (p. 227)
Why countertrade?
Who countertrades and who doesn't?
Types of countertrade
Participants in countertrade: the 'countertraders'
The costs (and the savings)
Some risks
Financing
A practical example of countertrade
Anatomy of countertrade
Countertrade checklist
Conclusion
Recommended reading
Part 6 Getting Paid
19 Collecting overdue debts (p. 255)
Debt progression policy
Resources
Priorities
Targeting
When to chase?
Routine debt progression methods
Action plan
Using the local agent
When initial approaches get no result
Local assistance
Personal visits
Debt restructuring
Legal action
Recommended reading
20 Overseas exchange controls (p. 264)
From fixed to floating exchange rates
Dealing with the risk of convertible currency volatility
Spot transactions
Forward transactions
Options
Dealing with the risk of inconvertibility
A summary of exchange controls
Sovereign risk
Transfer or convertibility risk
Precautions
Options when it is too late for precautions
Recommended reading
Part 7 Finance And Cash/Currency Management
21 Export finance techniques in Europe (p. 279)
The credit manager's evolving role
Organization and responsibility
Relationships with the banks
Mobilizing trade and export financing facilities
Recourse
Sources of trade finance
Export houses
Factoring and invoice discounting
Discounting accepted drafts/bills of exchange
Forfaiting
Aid programmes
Transmission of funds
European coordination centres
Conclusion
Recommended reading
22 Export finance techniques in the USA (p. 290)
Short-term financing
Commercial banks
Guarantees
Eximbank
Confirming houses and export finance banks
Factoring
Export credit insurance
Captive insurance companies for export risks
Forfaiting
US Government and local state government
Medium- and longer-term financing
The World Bank
Alternative financing resources
Arbitration in resolving international disputes
Sources for business opportunities and regulatory advice
Recommended reading
23 Foreign exchange exposure management (p. 303)
Types of exposure
Techniques for handling currency exposures
Non-market or internal methods
Market methods
Spot exchange rates
Forward exchange rates
Currency accounts
Currency futures
Currency options
Option derivatives
Currency swaps
Using the techniques to hedge different types of exposure
Summary
Recommended reading
24 International treasury/cash management (p. 318)
Liquidity management
Cash forecasting
Bank relationships
Payment systems
Cash concentration techniques
Surplus funds
Bank credit facilities
Settlement of inter-company accounts
Tax considerations
Cross-border funding and investing model
Financial risk management
Automating the treasury operation
The case for centralizing international treasury
Minimizing banking costs
Managing blocked funds
Conclusion
Recommended reading
Part 8 International Law/Regulation
25 Legal and regulatory issues (p. 333)
Early involvement of lawyers
Language
Law of the contract
Arbitration
Practical enforcement of judgments and awards
Variations and changes to the contract
Force majeure and frustration
Ownership of goods
Harmonization of laws and rules
Political considerations
The World Trade Organization (WTO)
State immunity
Conclusion
Recommended reading
26 Insolvency law (p. 340)
Overview of different insolvency systems and key procedures
Retention of title and other security options
Directors' liability and voidable transactions
Cross-border considerations
Future developments in insolvency law
Recommended reading
Part 9 Organization And Systems
27 Organization and policy (p. 353)
Defining the credit management process
Performance measurement
Organizational aspects
Centralization versus decentralization
In-house versus outsourcing
Systems platform
Staffing and employee development
Benchmarking the credit process and the organization
Credit policy
Conclusion
28 Supporting systems (p. 363)
System acquisition and initial configuration
Customer master files
Credit checking on shipments or services
Functionality specific to credit management
Reporting
Operation and maintenance considerations
System upgrades
Acquisitions and changes in business
Bolt-on systems
Resource constraints
Appendix
Sources of advice and assistance (p. 371)
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Chambers of commerce
Government trade promotion organizations
Trade Partners UK
The Simpler Trade Procedures Board (SITPRO), UK
The US Department of Commerce
International agencies
Trade associations and groups
FCIB-NACM Corporation
National associations/institutes of credit management
The Institute of Export (UK)
The British Exporters Association (BExA)
Index (p. 381)