List of Import and Trade Financing Companies in the United States: Our Top 10 Picks

Long production and shipping lead times force importers to tie up capital in inventory for months on end. Import and trade financing companies (some can also be considered inventory financing companies) can help mitigate that problem by lending the amounts needed to pay your domestic and overseas suppliers.

In this guide, we list American import and trade financing companies, offering a wide range of services. This includes purchase order financing, import financing, export financing, and other related services.

Ashford Finance

Based in New York, Ashford Finance is a company that provides financing services for importers, manufacturers, and other businesses that need short-term financing. Ashford Finance’s services are provided by experienced professionals in finance, manufacturing, and trading. The company’s business scope covers purchase order financing, letters of credit, receivable financing, and other short-term transactional financings.

Ashford provides 100% funding for traders. The transactions range from USD 25,000 to USD 10,000,000, covering a full cycle of the production process, starting from the purchase of goods.

Ashford’s clients mainly operate in the following industries:

• Handbags
• Furniture
• Electronics
• Luggage
• Shoes
• Toys
• Sporting goods
• Processed and frozen foods

Main Services

• Purchase order financing
• Import financing
• Export financing
• Domestic financing
• Letters of credit
• Receivables financing
• Invoice factoring
• Forfaiting

Relevant Information

• 100% funding of the cost of goods
• Funds transactions ranging from USD 25,000 to USD 10,000,000
• Funds transactions based upon the merit of the transaction instead of the borrower’s balance sheet
• More than 20 years in business

Address: 48 Wall Street, 11 Floor, New York, NY 10005, United States

Capstone

Capstone is a company providing financing services and solutions for international parties, including importers and manufacturers. Capstone provides funding services to importers purchasing from Asia, India, Europe, and South America. The company’s financing solutions cover every stage of the manufacturing and importing processes, including production, inventory, and shipment.

Capstone aims to provide one-stop trade and import financing services. Therefore, it also assists companies in arranging the following logistics and custom clearance services:

• Air and sea shipping
• Inland freight arrangements
• Preparation of shipping documents
• Export licenses
• Establishment of letters of credit

Main Services

• Invoice factoring
• Purchase order financing
• Trade and import financing
• Minority-owned business funding
• Contract manufacturer funding
• Supplier and distributor funding
• Domestic and international trading financing

Relevant Information

• 100% funding of the cost of goods
• Financing services to customers with annual sales ranging from USD 1 million to USD 50 million
• Members of the International Factoring Association
• Members of the Forbes Finance Council
• Members of the American Factoring Association

Address: 810 7th Ave, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10019, United States

1st Commercial Credit

1st Commercial Credit offers flexible financial services to US-based companies. It provides trade finance services for importers, manufacturers, and exporters who have the following needs:

• Urgent cash demand for their businesses (3 to 5 days)
• Import payable financing
• Purchase order financing
• Export receivable financing

1st Commercial Credit’s financing scope includes receivable finance, purchase order finance, and letters of credit. It provides flexible e-services that allow customers to apply online with no obligation. According to its website, it responds to customers within 24 hours and provides international factoring proposals.

Main Services

• Purchase order financing
• Letters of credit
• Credit insurance
• Management of receivables
• Credit coverage
• Accounts receivable financing
• Equipment financing
• Invoice factoring
• Purchase order financing
• Trade payable financing

Relevant Information

• Asset-based lending
• Domestic sales offices in Texas, Illinois, Florida, Georgia
• International sales offices in Canada and United Kingdom

Address: 6500 River Place Blvd, Building 7, Suite 250, Austin TX 78730, United States

eCapital

eCapital is a company that specializes in providing tailor-made financing services to small and medium-sized businesses. The company’s financing solutions aim at helping business owners to solve the urgent demand for cash in a swift manner. It can help you whether the cash needed is for making payroll, paying suppliers, buying new equipment, or expanding into new markets.

eCapital provides flexible and easy financing services for startups or established companies that require less than USD 250,000 in funding. According to its website, it replies to qualified applicants within 24 hours and advances up to 90% of the invoice value.

Main Services

• Invoice factoring for small business
• Asset-based lending
• Payroll funding
• Cash flow management
• Import finance

Relevant Information

• Up to 90% advance rate paid within 24 hours
• Access to funding that is not dependent on the size of the customer base
• 3.5% fixed fee per invoice
• Specialize in providing financing solutions to startup and small size companies
• Online consulting services

Address: 600 TownPark Lane, Suite 450 Kennesaw, GA 30144, United States

Drip Capital

Drip Capital is a digital financing company based in Palo Alto, California. The company provides fast turnaround solutions for international traders to get quick access to cash using outstanding invoices.

Drip Capital provides solutions and wire transfers within 24 hours. According to its website, companies can simply submit the necessary documents on Drip Capital’s platform and the customer representative will get in touch with them within a day.

The credit line for small-sized companies is up to USD 2.5 million, with charges starting at 0.5% per month. Accel, Wing, Y Combinator, and Sequoia venture capital are among Drip Capital investors.

Main Services

• Invoice factoring
• Post shipment finance
• Receivables factoring
• Export factoring
• Invoice discounting
• Bill discounting
• Trade finance

Relevant Information

• Wire transfer within 24 hours
• 0.5% rate per month
• Providing flexible and easy solutions to startup and small size companies
• Online consulting and digital services

Address: Drip Capital Inc, 555 Bryant St. 356, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States

Accord Financial

Accord Financial is a financing company that provides import and export financing solutions. It provides financing services for a wide range of companies with a sales revenue of over USD 2 million per year, including companies in the following industries:

• Apparel and textile
• Food and beverage
• Automotive
• Medical equipment
• Promotional products
• Furniture

Accord Financial helps companies to improve their cash flow performances and offers flexible financing solutions in amounts ranging from USD 100,000 to USD 20 millions.

Main Services

• Invoice factoring
• Letters of credit to finance the purchase of pre-sold finished goods
• Documentary collections
• Asset-based lending
• Lender financing
• Retail inventory financing
• Equipment financing
• Small business loan

Relevant Information

• Wire transfer within 24 hours
• 0.5% rate per month
• Founded in 1978
• Providing tailor-made financing solutions to startup and small size companies

Address: 25 Woods Lake Road Suite 102 Greenville, SC 29607, United States

Meridian Finance Group

Meridian Finance Group is a financing service provider that was founded in 1993. The company started by helping equipment manufacturers to decrease inventory stock capital and increase turnaround rates by providing cross-border financing services.

Later, it expanded its financing services to international traders with short-term credit demands, providing companies with financing solutions to purchase all kinds of products and services from suppliers in the United States and overseas.

According to its website, Meridian has received the President’s “E” Award for exceptional support of international trade.

Main Services

• Trade finance
• Domestic a/r insurance
• Letter of credit
• Equipment financing
• Supply chain finance

Relevant Information

• Provides financing and insurance services for international traders
• President’s “E” Award
• Founded in 1993

Address: 11900 W. Olympic Blvd., 8th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90064, United States

Marlin Capital Solutions

Marlin Capital Solutions is a provider of financing solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. The company has been funding importers, manufacturers, and distributors with urgent need in cash to pay their suppliers and expand their markets.

Marlin Capital Solutions mainly provides funding solutions to businesses in the following industries:

• Construction equipment
• Office equipment
• Health care equipment
• Foodservice devices
• Security and surveillance devices
• Commercial vehicles
• Telecom facilities

Main Services

• Trade financing
• Equipment financing
• Software financing
• Working capital loans
• Franchise financing
• Direct deposits
• Equipment leasing

Relevant Information

• Provides fast financing solutions via their online platform
• Over 20 years of experience

Address: Mt Laurel, New Jersey, United States

Valkin

Valkin is a trade financing company based in New York. It provides financing solutions for imports into the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union markets. The company offers import and inventory finance to companies that have sales revenue between USD 1 million to USD 80 million. The credit loan ranges from USD 50,000 up to USD 5 million.

According to its website, Valkin usually approves loans within 48 hours, with a flexible payment term of up to 120 days. Currently, it provides trade finance to companies that import consumer products such as:

• Fashion and apparel
• Home furnishings and home decor
• Kitchen and outdoor products
• Lifestyle accessories
• Handbags

Main Services

• Import finance
• Inventory finance
• Supply chain finance
• Purchase order finance
• Trade finance
• Invoice finance

Summary

• Credit loan ranges from USD 50,000 up to USD 5 million
• Inventory finance for e-commerce retailers

Relevant Information

• International office in London

Address: 80 State Street, Albany, NY 12207, United States

Comerica Bank

Comerica Bank provides financing services for international traders in the consumer products industry. It offers financing solutions to help companies to free up working capital, and streamline their payable process, by prepaying their supplier’s invoice.

Currently, companies that have received trade financing services from Comerica Bank include importers in the following industries:

• Apparel and textile
• Automobile
• Food and beverage
• Healthcare products
• Technology equipment

Main Services

• Import working capital loans
• Export working capital loans
• Letter of credit financing
• Supply chain finance
• Offshore lending

Summary

• Founded in 1849
• Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Working Capital Loan Guarantee for exporters
• Operates in seven of the 10 largest US cities
• Operates more than 430 banking centers in Texas, Arizona, California, Florida, and Michigan

Address: Dallas, TX, United States