End-to-end protection for general merchandise trade
Import & Export
Trading companies move goods between buyers and sellers who often never meet. The entire transaction rests on documents, promises, and the integrity of counterparties. We give importers, exporters, and intermediaries the insurance, escrow, and verification infrastructure to trade across borders with confidence — whatever the product.
Industry overview
Import-export is the backbone of world trade, yet most transactions still run on trust between strangers. The exporter ships hoping to be paid; the importer pays hoping goods arrive as described. Between them sit carriers, banks, and customs — each a point where value can leak through damage, delay, default, or fraud.
Our import-export practice is built for this reality: cargo insurance on every movement, escrow that aligns payment to verified performance, counterparty verification before commitment, and trade-credit protection for open-account terms. It is the complete protection stack for general merchandise trade.
Common business risks
Non-payment and buyer default
Open-account exporters carry receivable risk that concentrates in a few foreign buyers.
Non-delivery and supplier fraud
Importers prepaying unverified suppliers face phantom shipments and deposit fraud.
Cargo damage and loss
Handling, sea perils, and theft damage or destroy goods between origin and destination.
Documentary discrepancies
Errors in bills of lading, invoices, or certificates delay clearance and trigger disputes.
Currency and price exposure
Exchange movement and market swings between contract and settlement erode margins.
Recommended insurance services
Coverage structures aligned to the physical and credit risks of this sector.
Escrow solutions
Payment protection that releases funds only against verified performance.
Verification services
Evidence-based checks on counterparties, facilities, and goods before you commit.
Compliance support
- Import and export documentation review
- HS classification and duty optimization advisory
- Incoterms selection and contract alignment
- Letter-of-credit document compliance support
Trade risk management
- Counterparty credit and integrity screening
- Corridor and carrier risk mapping
- Open-account receivable exposure quantification
- Incoterms and contract risk review
Why it matters
Counterparties verified before money moves
Payment aligned to verified performance
Every shipment insured door-to-door
Receivables protected on open-account terms
Documents that clear customs first time
Case study
General merchandise — multi-origin sourcing
Trading house eliminates deposit fraud exposure
Challenge
A trading company lost $180K in prepayments to a supplier that never shipped, and its open-account receivables were growing faster than its credit controls.
Solution
Supplier verification before any deposit, import escrow for new-supplier transactions, and trade credit insurance on the open-account book.
Result
Zero deposit losses across 40+ subsequent transactions; one fraudulent supplier screened out before payment; receivable defaults covered at 90%.
Frequently asked questions
Verify the supplier first, then use escrow or a letter of credit rather than a direct prepayment. Escrow releases funds only against verified shipping documents, removing the deposit-fraud risk.
Related industries
Related services
Related guides
escrow
Import Escrow vs. Export Escrow: Which Structure Do You Need?
Two sides of the same protection: how import escrow and export escrow differ in initiation, risk coverage, and release mechanics — and which fits your position.
insurance
What Is Marine Cargo Insurance? The Complete Guide
Everything importers and exporters need to know about insuring goods in international transit — coverage clauses, exclusions, valuation, and claims.
fraud prevention
Avoiding Trade Scams: A Buyer's Field Guide
The anatomy of the scams that actually cost importers money — and the due-diligence sequence that catches them before the first payment.
Protect your import & export trade
Talk to a sector specialist about insurance, escrow, and verification for your specific transactions and corridors.