(a) Banks for cooperatives and agricultural credit banks, under policies adopted by their boards of directors, are authorized to finance foreign trade receivables on behalf of eligible cooperatives to include the following:

(1) Advances against collections;

(2) Trade acceptances;

(3) Factoring; and

(4) Open accounts.

(b) To reduce credit, political, and other risks associated with foreign trade receivable financing, the banks for cooperatives and agricultural credit banks shall avail themselves of such guarantee and insurance plans as are available in the United States and other countries, such as the Foreign Credit Insurance Association and the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Exceptions may be made where a prospective borrower has had a longstanding successful business relationship with the eligible cooperative borrower or an eligible cooperative which is not a borrower if the prospective borrower has a high credit rating as determined by the bank.

(c) When financing a draft drawn on a foreign importer, the banks should retain recourse to the exporter unless their credit evaluation of and experience with the importer indicate recourse is not necessary or unless appropriate guarantees or insurance plans are used.

(d) The financing of foreign trade receivables shall be limited by the policies of each bank's board of directors. The policies shall provide a method of determining the maximum amount in dollars, by country, to be financed and establishing a maximum percentage of the amount of a draft drawn on a foreign party against which the bank may advance funds. The banks shall take into consideration the following factors:

(1) The reputation and financial strength of the foreign importer.

(2) The reputation and payment record of the class of importers in the same country as the subject importer in regard to prompt payment of drafts drawn upon them.

(3) The quality of the supporting documents offered with the draft.

(4) The degree of ease with which necessary foreign exchange conversion can be made, or the extent to which foreign currency exposure may be hedged by forward or future contracts.

(5) The reputation and financial strength of the exporter.

(e) The banks may establish foreign trade receivable financing programs by which eligible parties pledge collections to the bank, and then may borrow from the bank up to a stated maximum percentage of the total amount of receivables pledged at any one time.

(f) When financing foreign trade receivables, the banks shall take such precautions and obtain such credit information as necessary to ascertain that all parties to the transaction(s) being financed are reputable and capable of performing their responsibilities under the contract of sale.

(g) When financing foreign trade receivables, the banks shall determine that all shipments are covered by maritime insurance while on the high seas.

(h) Countries where credit is to be extended will be analyzed periodically and systematically on a centralized basis. The resulting country studies will be disseminated to all banks for cooperatives and agricultural credit banks to be used as inputs in credit grading decisions.

[46 FR 51879, Oct. 22, 1981, as amended at 55 FR 24886, June 19, 1990; 62 FR 4445, Jan. 30, 1997]