FCIB - The Finance, Credit & International Business Association

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FCIB is the source of trusted, essential information and knowledge for international credit & trade finance professionals.

Trade Finance Guide

The Trade Finance Guide was created in partnership with FCIB—The Finance, Credit, and International Business Association—a prominent business educator of credit and risk management professionals in exporting companies ranging in size from multinational to SMEs. FCIB's parent, the National Association of Credit Management, is a non-profit organization that represents nearly 16,000 businesses in the United States and is one of the world's largest credit organizations. This Trade Finance Guide was also created in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank), the International Factoring Association, the Association of Trade & Forfaiting in the Americas, and BAFT-IFSA, the association for organizations actively engaged in international transaction banking. (BAFT-IFSA was formed by the merger of the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT) and the International Financial Services Association (IFSA)).

How to Obtain the Trade Finance Guide?

The Trade Finance Guide is available online HERE

Trade Finance Guide in Spanish

ITA has published a Spanish version of the Trade Finance Guide in partnership with the California Centers for International Trade Development (CITD) to help facilitate U.S. exports to Spanish-speaking countries. The CITD is a state-funded non-profit organization that promotes California's international trade and global competitiveness. With offices across California, the CITD assists local SMEs with expanding their global presence, especially in Mexico and Latin America, where Spanish is the primary language. Through this collaboration with CITD, the Spanish language Trade Finance Guide will enable ITA to reach thousands of potential new exporters. For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Where to Learn More about Trade Finance

For more advanced trade finance training, FCIB offers the 13-week International Credit and Risk Management online course, which was developed with a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2001.

For more information about the course, click here or call 1-888-256-3242.
For more information about the partnership with the U.S. Trade Administration, click here.

Press Release: FCIB Global and U.S. Commercial Service Sign Strategic Partnership

May 2, 2013— FCIB and the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration May 1, 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to increase awareness in the U.S. business community, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses, about exporting and the tools and resources our organizations provide to help them succeed.

"We're pleased to welcome FCIB as a partner in our efforts to strengthen the U.S. economy and support local jobs through expanding U.S. exports," said Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez. "With more than 95 percent of potential customers living outside U.S. borders, it's imperative that American companies of all sizes consider the benefits of selling their products abroad."

Under the MOU, the FCIB and U.S. Commercial Service's network of worldwide offices will work together on marketing, education programs and events leveraging both entities' expertise to help make U.S. businesses—and particularly small and medium-sized firms—more export savvy. Joint activities may include building awareness through outreach at trade shows, direct mail campaigns and online registration for resource support.

In 2010, President Obama announced the National Export Initiative (NEI) with the goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014. The partnership supports this goal by educating U.S. exporters, particularly small- and medium-sized companies, about the benefits exporting and expanding their exports to additional markets, and the public and private sector resources to assist them. FCIB joins several of the U.S. Commercial Service's Strategic Partners who have connected more than 1,500 companies to federal export assistance.

ABOUT FCIB

Established in 1919, FCIB is internationally recognized as the premier association of executives in Finance, Credit and International Business, providing critical export credit and collections insight, practical advice and intelligence to companies of all sizes – from Fortune 500 multinationals to medium and small private companies. With a membership of over 1,100 global credit and trade finance professionals located in 55 countries around the world, FCIB offers unique networking and educational opportunities, enhancing professional careers and improving company competitiveness and bottom line. FCIB assists international credit and trade finance professionals in leading and conducting global commercial credit operations. Through education, its powerful global-reaching network, business credit intelligence and related products, services and resources, FCIB promotes best practices and ethical credit management policies. FCIB facilitates discussions and the exchange of information at meetings, conferences, round tables, proving a forum for its members to advance their knowledge and careers. FCIB is a division and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Association of Credit Management.

FCIB has an interest in this project because of its interest in ensuring a sustainable economic recovery which will be achieved in part through increasing U.S. exports. Participation in this project furthers FCIB's programs to encourage the economic growth of its members and other small and medium-sized enterprises.

The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. U.S. Commercial Service trade professionals in more than 100 U.S. cities and in more than 70 countries help U.S. companies get started in exporting or increase sales to new global markets. Visit www.trade.gov/cs to learn more.

Webinars

Covering topics such as "Doing Business in Specific Countries", Letters of Credit and Documentary Collections, INCO Terms and Customer Visits, FCIB webinars are presented by world renowned experts. Webinars are engaging, affordable, delivering best-in-class information.

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Upcoming Events

All FCIB offerings – online courses, webinars, audio teleconferences, conferences, round tables and workshops – are listed by date, making it easy to register online.

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Teleconferences

Presented as both a benefit of membership (at no additional cost) and for a fee, audio teleconferences tackle fast breaking, news-driven topics, critical to every global executive's credit decision-making.

Online Courses

Courses covering most of the functional areas of global credit management are offered online. Whether it's the comprehensive, intermediate-level International Credit & Risk Management course that spans 13-weeks, the FCIB – Michigan State University 5-week Export Regulations & Compliance course that will teach you to spot red flags and recognize when it's time to seek help from your company's compliance officer or legal counsel, or the FCIB – Michigan State University Foreign Exchange Management course designed to provide value to any company whose business takes place in a currency other than the home currency.

Education On Demand

FCIB's webinar and audio teleconference broadcasts are archived and available 24-7.

International Certified Credit Executive (ICCE)

FCIB’s executive-level designation recognizes and rewards global credit and trade finance professionals who have earned the Certified International Credit Professional designation. ICCE designation holders want to remain on the cutting edge of their profession by engaging with other global credit and trade finance practitioners and stay current with relevant information and education.

NACM's Credit Learning Center

The NACM Credit Learning Center (CLC) is an online learning venue, created to bring 24/7 access to educational sessions for today's busy business credit professional. Click on the links below to learn more about the CLC.

Certified International Credit Professional

Awarded to those who successfully complete the International Credit & Risk Management (ICRM) online course^sm, the CICP is a globally recognized mark of distinction, signaling to employers that holders have mastered a broad range of global credit management concepts.

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FCIB strives to best serve the needs of international credit and risk management professionals by continually searching for timely and relevant topics to keep YOU aware of the latest developments in global commercial credit.