Finance question
What is a trade finance facility?
It is a revolving line that pays your suppliers, especially on imports, so you can order goods before you have the cash in hand. The facility funds each purchase and you repay as the goods sell or as your customers pay you. Ventas arranges it across its lender panel, sized to your trade, subject to lender assessment.
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The short answer
A revolving line that pays your suppliers
Trade finance sits between placing an order and getting paid for it. When you buy from a supplier, especially overseas, the money often leaves before the goods arrive and long before your customer pays. A trade finance facility bridges that gap by settling the supplier for you, then giving you a set period to repay once the stock has landed and started to sell.
It works as a revolving line, not a one-off loan. You draw on it to fund a purchase, repay as the trade completes, then draw again for the next order. That rhythm suits importers, wholesalers and distributors who are constantly buying and selling, because the facility keeps pace with the trade instead of forcing a fresh application every cycle.
As a broker, Ventas is paid by the lender on settlement, so there is no upfront fee to you. We look at your suppliers, your shipping and payment terms and your sales cycle, then match the facility to the lender most comfortable with your trade. The limit is sized to your turnover and the volume you move, subject to lender assessment.
Do you qualify?
What a trade facility usually needs.
You buy to sell
Importing, wholesaling or distributing goods.
Regular suppliers
Local or overseas suppliers you pay often.
A clear sales cycle
Sales the facility can be repaid against.
An active ABN
Sole traders and companies both qualify.
Why importers use trade finance
Order before you can pay
The lender settles the supplier so a big order does not stall.
It revolves
Draw, repay, draw again as each shipment sells through.
Cash stays free
Your own funds cover running costs instead of supplier invoices.
A real example
An importer needs to pay an overseas supplier $120,000 for a container that will take six weeks to arrive and another two months to sell. A trade facility pays the supplier now, the goods land and sell through, and the drawdown is repaid from the sales. The importer never had to find the full amount up front. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is trade finance the same as a loan?
Not quite. It is a revolving line tied to your purchases, so you draw and repay as you trade rather than taking one fixed lump of debt.
Can it pay overseas suppliers?
Yes. Paying import suppliers is one of the most common uses, subject to lender assessment of the trade.
Do I need property to secure it?
Often no. Many trade facilities are secured against the goods or the trade rather than real estate.
How big can the facility be?
It is sized to your turnover and the volume you move, so it scales with your trade rather than a flat cap.