From Extending Credit Terms to Foreign Buyers to Bridging Any Payment Delays, You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

It’s not often that you can have your cake and eat it, too. But for today’s exporters, it’s possible with the right education and resources.

International buyers, for instance, are increasingly asking for credit terms, while exporters want to minimize risk. In some markets, extending credit can mean the difference between winning and losing the deal. At the same time, working capital is key to a company’s success and its ability to run smoothly and properly while taking steps to grow. It impacts so many areas of business, from paying employees and vendors and increasing inventory, to bridging payment delays and covering unexpected expenses or price hikes.

Maybe you are in need of capital to take on a large project that you would otherwise have to pass on, or to take the steps to expand your business into global markets around the world. Either way, the World Trade Center Northern California has education and partner resources that can give you the access you need when taking advantage of opportunities that might strain your current cash flow or give your credit manager heartburn!

For companies focused on global expansion, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)—an independent Executive Branch government agency with a mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating the export of U.S. goods and services—offers trade finance and credit risk products and expertise specifically tailored to support U.S.-based companies who need the working capital and loan guarantees for selling internationally.

With a limited regional staff and travel budget, EXIM has developed a program that’s based on cooperating and pooling strengths called Regional Export Promotion Program, or REPP. The program brings state, county and local nonprofit economic development entities together with EXIM to expand export opportunities for businesses. These entities have local market knowledge and the ability to personally reach companies selling internationally.

World Trade Center Northern California is proud to be one of these local experts and facilitators. Examples of other REPP partners that represent large exporting states like California include state, county and city governments, local nonprofit economic development entities and Small Business Development Centers. As a REPP partner, we can now tap into the strength of EXIM’s training, trade-finance specialists to speak at events, one-on-one trade finance counseling and support for exporters and more.

Learn more about EXIM bank and its offerings for U.S. businesses here. Also, watch this recent webinar to learn more about export finance tools available through EXIM and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of International Trade as well as hear stories from two companies that have successfully utilized them to grow.