United Kingdom · International non-ferrous metals tradingsales@moorgatemetals.com
Trade

Trade Finance

Payment structures must protect commercial interests without creating documentary conditions that cannot be performed.

Letter of Credit at sight

A bank undertaking to pay against presentation of documents that comply with the credit. Every condition should be operationally clear before shipment.

Documentary collection

Commercial and transport documents are handled through banking channels, but without the same independent bank payment undertaking as a documentary credit.

Open-account structures

Appropriate only where credit approval, transaction history, limits and risk controls support the exposure.

Documentary discipline matters.

  • Names, addresses and bank details must match verified entities.
  • Required documents must be obtainable within the shipment timetable.
  • Descriptions, tolerances and dates should be internally consistent.
  • Amendment responsibility and cost should be agreed.
  • Sanctions, currency and correspondent-bank constraints should be considered early.
Transaction finance

Bank-controlled transaction chain.

End buyerBuyer-side documentary credit or other bank-approved payment instrument.
MoorgatePrincipal physical trader aligning purchase, resale, documents, pricing and transaction controls.
Trade-finance bankAssesses buyer credit, Moorgate, supplier, jurisdiction, documents, collateral and facility structure.
SupplierReceives payment under the agreed documentary conditions rather than relying on unsecured buyer promises.

A buyer LC can support working-capital efficiency, but it does not automatically eliminate Moorgate's cash-margin, collateral, discrepancy, performance or funding obligations. The issuing/financing bank determines the actual facility.

Finance meets market risk

Payment security is only one part of the structure.

A documentary credit can address defined payment risk, but it does not by itself remove commodity-price, basis or foreign-exchange exposure. Pricing dates, shipment milestones, documentary presentation, funding and hedge cash flows should therefore be considered together.

For LME-linked physical trades, commercial pricing, FX exposure and financing timing should be considered together. Moorgate can support this transaction-level risk analysis while regulated hedge execution, where required, is undertaken through appropriately authorised counterparties.

Information on this page is general. Each payment structure requires transaction-specific banking, legal, compliance and credit review.