his article addresses the phenomenon of document discrepancies in international trade financing as a significant worldwide issue resulting in unnecessary delays, refused payments, and financial loss when banks discover discrepancies in required trade finance documents presented under the...

The International Chamber of Commerce's adoption of the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP 600) effective July 1, 2007, provides an opportune time for a handbook that explains the mechanics of international sales, the role banks play in them, and the use of documentary...

We propose a novel technique to measure three aspects of banks' sectoral concentration that feature prominently in episodes of intensi fied (systemic) bank risk: specialization (capturing overexposures), differentiation (capturing indirect connectedness), and fi nancial sector exposure...

Banks play a critical role in facilitating international trade by guaranteeing international payments and thereby reducing the risk of trade transactions. This paper employs banking data from the U.S. to document new empirical patterns regarding the use of letters of credit and similar bank...

This study provides evidence that shocks to the supply of trade finance have a causal effect on U.S. exports. The identification strategy exploits variation in the importance of banks as providers of letters of credit across countries. The larger a U.S. bank's share of the trade finance market...

This study provides evidence that shocks to the supply of trade finance have a causal effect on U.S. exports. The identification strategy exploits variation in the importance of banks as providers of letters of credit across countries. The larger a U.S. bank's share of the trade finance market...