Trade & import · import finance
Funding the gap between order and cash.
Working capital specifically structured for businesses importing goods. Funds the period between paying overseas suppliers and receiving payment from Australian customers. Bank-led market with specialist non-bank players.
What it is, when it fits
Plain English, with the trade-offs.
Import finance funds the cash-to-cash cycle for importers: pay the overseas supplier, ship and clear the goods, sell to your Australian customers, get paid by them. That cycle can run 60 to 180 days, particularly with sea freight and B2B customer payment terms layered on top. Without specific finance, the working capital required to fund a growing import business scales linearly with revenue, often outpacing internal cashflow. Import finance is structured per shipment (the lender funds a specific consignment, gets paid out when it sells through) or as an ongoing facility (the lender provides a revolving line, you draw against approved shipments). The major banks dominate this space because letters of credit, currency conversion, and supplier-bank-to-buyer-bank settlement all run through their international networks. Specialist providers like Octet and Tim Trade Finance compete for mid-market deals where bank policy is restrictive. Pricing reflects shipping risk, currency risk, and supplier counterparty risk; expect BBSY plus 2% to 4% margin on a well-structured facility.
Stacked shipping containers at an Australian port.
Typical scenarios
Importer of consumer goods funding inventory
Why: Pre-Christmas import buy, $1.2M of stock, 90 days from supplier to Australian sales.
Outcome: $900K shipment finance line, drawn against the consignment, repaid as stock sells through pre-Christmas peak.
Manufacturer importing raw materials
Why: Critical materials with 60-day shipping, 30-day customer terms.
Outcome: $2M ongoing facility, drawn weekly as POs issue, repaid as customers settle.
Retailer pre-seasonal import buying
Why: Annual peak season, 4-month gap between supplier payment and customer revenue.
Outcome: $700K seasonal facility, structured to peak with the buying season and unwind across the trading peak.
Distributor scaling international supply chain
Why: Adding new supplier in a new currency to expand range.
Outcome: $1.5M facility with multi-currency capability, hedging coordinated with the bank trade desk.
Lenders for this product
Who we work with.
- NAB Trade
- CommBank Trade
- ANZ Trade
- Westpac Trade
- HSBC Australia
- Octet
Lender accreditation varies; not every lender is available for every deal. We pick from the panel based on your specific situation.
How it works
From brief to settlement.
- 01
Trading review
We review your import volume, supplier mix, customer terms, and currency exposure. The shape of the trading determines which lenders and facility structure fit.
- 02
Bank trade desk introduction
For most established importers, a major-bank trade desk is the right fit. We make the introduction directly to the right team rather than the generic business banking line.
- 03
Documentation and onboarding
Trade-finance facilities require more documentation than generic working capital (KYC, supplier diligence, currency-hedging setup). Typical timeline 3 to 6 weeks.
- 04
First shipment and ongoing operation
You draw against the facility per shipment, repay as goods sell through. Most ongoing facilities operate through the bank's trade portal once set up.
Indicative pricing & terms
Ranges, not promises.
Rate range
BBSY + 2 to 4% margin
Loan size
$250K to $50M+
Term
30 to 180 day shipment terms; ongoing or per-shipment
Security
Goods, receivables, sometimes director's guarantee
Indicative only; specific pricing depends on lender, security, and your business profile.
Frequently asked
Honest answers, plain English.
How is import finance different from working capital?
Import finance is structured around the import cycle: the lender funds against a specific shipment, takes security over the goods and downstream receivables, and gets repaid as the goods sell through. Generic working capital is a flat line of credit that doesn't care what the cash funds. For businesses where imports drive most of the working-capital need, import finance prices materially better than generic working capital.
Currency exposure considerations?
Most import facilities settle in the supplier's currency (USD, EUR, RMB). The bank's trade desk usually offers FX forwards or other hedging instruments alongside the facility. Coordinated currency-and-finance is normal; running the two separately can leave material risk unhedged.
Pre-shipment vs post-shipment finance?
Pre-shipment funds the supplier before the goods ship (against a confirmed PO and often a letter of credit). Post-shipment funds the period after shipping until customer payment. Most facilities cover both; some specialist programs split them.
Letter of credit requirements?
Letters of credit are sometimes required by the supplier (particularly for new relationships or higher-risk jurisdictions) and sometimes optional. The bank issuing the LC and the bank funding the import can be the same institution or two different ones. We coordinate.
Documentary requirements?
Typically: shipping documents (bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list), insurance certificate, supplier payment proof. Most banks have moved to digital documentary handling so the admin overhead is lower than it was.
Single shipment vs ongoing facility?
Single-shipment makes sense for one-off or infrequent imports; the cost-per-shipment is higher but there's no ongoing commitment. Ongoing facilities make sense for regular importers; pricing is meaningfully better and the operational overhead drops once the facility is set up.
Related products
If this isn't quite the fit.
Next step
Twenty minutes, no obligation.
Tell us the shape of the deal and the timing. We'll send a lender shortlist for import finance or, if it isn't the right fit, an honest signal of what is.