...A06-97-0002 Crosswell International It is August 4, 1995, and the Mathieux brothers, Doug and Geoff, were concluding a summer-long effort of developing the Brazilian market for Crosswell International (U.S.). Crosswell’s president and CEO, Hector Lans, is convinced that Precious Ultra Thin Baby Diapers will be a big seller in Brazil. In their role as brokers for Crosswell, the Mathieuxs have been exploring a number of different distribution channels in the Brazilian market. To date, the distributor response to Precious diapers has been enthusiastic, particularly in light of Precious diapers’ superior quality compared to locally manufactured alternatives. The problem, however, is the price. Brazilians base many purchasing decisions — at least in regard to disposable diapers — on cost, not on quality. The Mathieuxs find that distributors do not believe they can compete in the market with the relatively high prices offered by Crosswell, even with higher quality diapers. After much debate over how to improve the price competitiveness of Precious diapers, the Mathieuxs believe they may have found a solution. Their proposal is to combine extended credit terms to local distributors with Brazil’s high domestic interest rates to effectively lower the diapers’ price to Brazilian consumers. The Brazilian Diaper Market Until the latter part of the 1980s, most Brazilians had never heard of a disposable diaper, and not surprisingly, the disposable hygiene market in Brazil...
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...C H A P T E R 19 International Trade Finance Financial statements are like fine perfume: to be sniffed but not swallowed. —Abraham Brilloff. LEARNING OBJECTIVES ◆ Learn how international trade alters both the supply chain and general value chain of the domestic firm, thereby beginning the globalization process in the trade phase. ◆ Consider what the key elements of an import or export transaction are in business. ◆ Discover how the three key documents in import/export, the letter of credit, the draft, and the bill of lading, combine to both finance the transaction and to manage its risks. ◆ Identify what the documentation sequence is for a typical international trade transaction. ◆ Learn how the various stages and their costs impact the ability of an exporter to enter a foreign market and potentially compete in both credit terms and pricing. ◆ See what organizations and resources are available for exporters to aid in managing trade risk and financing. ◆ Examine the various trade financing alternatives. The purpose of this chapter is to explain how international trade, exports and imports, is financed. The contents are of direct practical relevance to both domestic firms that just import and export and to multinational firms that trade with related and unrelated entities. The chapter begins by explaining the types of trade relationships that exist. Next, we explain the trade dilemma: exporters want to be paid before they export and importers do not want to pay until...
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...A06-97-0002 Crosswell International It is August 4, 1995, and the Mathieux brothers, Doug and Geoff, were concluding a summer-long effort of developing the Brazilian market for Crosswell International (U.S.). Crosswell’s president and CEO, Hector Lans, is convinced that Precious Ultra Thin Baby Diapers will be a big seller in Brazil. In their role as brokers for Crosswell, the Mathieuxs have been exploring a number of different distribution channels in the Brazilian market. To date, the distributor response to Precious diapers has been enthusiastic, particularly in light of Precious diapers’ superior quality compared to locally manufactured alternatives. The problem, however, is the price. Brazilians base many purchasing decisions — at least in regard to disposable diapers — on cost, not on quality. The Mathieuxs find that distributors do not believe they can compete in the market with the relatively high prices offered by Crosswell, even with higher quality diapers. After much debate over how to improve the price competitiveness of Precious diapers, the Mathieuxs believe they may have found a solution. Their proposal is to combine extended credit terms to local distributors with Brazil’s high domestic interest rates to effectively lower the diapers’ price to Brazilian consumers. The Brazilian Diaper Market Until the latter part of the 1980s, most Brazilians had never heard of a disposable diaper, and not surprisingly, the disposable hygiene market in Brazil was virtually non-existent...
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...End-of-Chapter Question Solutions 1 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 23: INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINANCE 1. Trade dilemma. What is meant by the term ‘trade dilemma’? International trade must work around a fundamental dilemma. Imagine an importer and an exporter who would like to do business with one another. They live in different countries located far apart. They have never met. They speak different languages. They operate in different political environments. They worship different gods (each capitalizes “God” in the home religion and uses a lower case “god” for foreign religions!). They come form cultures that have different standards for honoring obligations to other persons and different ways to settle disputes. They both know that if they default on an obligation, the other party will have a hard time catching up to seek redress. Although it might be too harsh to say they don’t trust one another, each has perfectly valid reasons for being very cautious in dealing with the other. Because of the distance between the two, it is not possible to simultaneously hand over goods with one hand and accept payment with the other. 2. Basic documents of trade. What are the three basic documents used in trade with unrelated parties? The fundamental dilemma of being unwilling to trust a stranger in a foreign land is solved by using a highly respected bank as intermediary. A greatly simplified view is described in Exhibit...
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