Import & export

Invoice finance for import & export.

You pay overseas suppliers on shipment but your customers pay 60 to 90 days later. Invoice finance advances against those sales invoices so the cash cycle stops holding your growth back.

85%

Typical advance

24 hours

Time to funds

£500k

Min turnover

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UK import and export shipping port with containers being loaded onto cargo vessels

Why invoice finance works for import & export.

✓You settle suppliers on shipment while UK and international customers pay on long terms, and invoice finance bridges that gap.
✓It advances against domestic and export debtors, so a strong overseas order book turns into working capital rather than a cash drain.
✓It pairs naturally with a trade finance line that pays the supplier first, then the invoice finance advance repays that facility once you invoice.
✓The line grows with your sales ledger, so peak import seasons and new customer wins are funded without renegotiating every time.

Typical facility for a import & export business.

Typical facility

Import & export

Turnover£4m

Advance rate85%

Monthly drawdown£280k

An importer invoicing £4m a year typically draws c. £280k a month against its sales ledger, releasing cash on despatch instead of waiting the full 60 to 90 days for customers to pay.

What lenders look for.

The specifics that make or break a facility in this sector.

Multi-currency invoicing

Buying in USD or EUR and selling in GBP creates exchange exposure. Specialist lenders fund in the invoice currency and can settle across currencies to reduce the risk on each deal.

Trade finance overlay

A trade or import line pays your overseas supplier up front, then the invoice finance advance repays that line once the goods are sold and invoiced, joining both halves of the cycle.

Export credit cover

Non-recourse facilities and export credit insurance protect you if an overseas buyer fails to pay, so you can offer competitive terms abroad without carrying all the bad-debt risk.

Foreign buyer checks

Underwriters credit-check overseas customers and weigh country risk, so cleaner buyer data and established trading history lift both your advance rate and your limits.

Model your facility.

Move the slider to your typical invoice value to see what would hit your account and what it would cost.

Invoice estimate

What's your invoice worth?

£50,000

£5k£500k

Released to you now£47,500

Held back until your customer pays£2,500

Time to fundsas little as 24 hours

See my full quote

No obligation. Speak to your broker for tailored terms.

The right lenders for import & export.

We benchmark your facility across a panel of specialist invoice finance and revolving credit lenders, and match you with the ones whose appetite fits import & export. You get whole-of-market access from one conversation, at no cost to you.

Common questions.

Yes. Export debtors are fundable, with advance rates set by the buyer's jurisdiction, currency and credit profile. Lenders comfortable with EU, US and APAC customers are common.