Qustion 1听力原文：Letter of CreditA: East Bank. Good morning.B: Hello. May I speak to the

Qustion 1

听力原文： Letter of Credit

A: East Bank. Good morning.

B: Hello. May I speak to the officer in charge of opening Letter of Credit for customers.

A: Yes, this is George Tangkerson speaking. What can I do for you？

B: This is Andrea Yang from Southeast Computer Ltd. We have an oversea supplier who wants to settle payment through L/C. Since this is the first time we have a transaction, they prefer the safest way of securing settlement, and suggest L/C. But we never handled it before. And your bank is our favorite one where we do all our banking. So I'd like to know about L/C to smooth that new deal.

A: OK. Mrs. Yang, thank you for choosing our bank as your favorite bank. In fact, a documentary letter of credit, after payment in advance, represents the safest and fastest way of securing payment for exporters, as the exporters can personally retain control of the documents of title to the goods until the moment of acceptance of a bill of exchange.

B: I see, that's why they want it. Could you tell me how many parties are involved in a credit？

A: Strictly speaking, there are five parties. The first one is the applicant, usually the buyer. In your case, it's you. You arrange a credit in accordance with the terms of the contract you have made with the beneficiary.

B: You mean with the supplier？

A: Exactly, he is the second party, and the credit is issued in his favor.

B: I was told that if I come to your bank and ask you to open a L/C for us, you function as the issuing bank.

A: Correct. We, the issuing bank, commit ourselves in accordance with your instruction. And here comes the fourth party—the advising/confirming bank, which is located in the country of the beneficiary and is usually our bank's correspondent. I mean the issuing bank's correspondent. Then, the paying/accepting bank makes payment to the beneficiary.

B: So in the process of making settlements by means of L/C, first of all, the buyer applies to the issuing bank to open a credit in favor of the exporter. Will his application always be approved？ How about my application？

A: Not necessarily. It will depend on the buyer's creditworthiness. Before issuing a credit, the bank must make certain of its customer's creditworthiness. If this is satisfactory, the credit is then advised to the exporter through a bank in his own country, that is the advising bank. In your case, I assure you that your application will be accepted, because we know your company very well through all the banking you have done with our bank.

B: Glad to hear that. Then, what is the issuing bank supposed to do next？

A: Under the term of credit, the issuing bank undertakes that the seller will be paid for his goods if he complies with certain stated conditions: these will call for certain documents, such as invoices, bills of lading and insurance documents. On condition that the documents presented to the advising bank due to him in exchange for tine documents.

B: Will the paying bank send the documents to you or to us？

A: To us by air-mail, never to you. When we have received the documents, we hand them to you. And when the ship docks, your company will presents the bills of lading to the shipping company and receive your goods.

B: So the payment for the goods by our company to you is a matter of arrangement between us and of no concern to the exporter？

A: That's right. And the settlement between the banks for the amount paid by the issuing bank is carried out through their nostro and vostro accounts.

B: Oh, I see. The advantage of a credit to the seller as you mentioned is self-evident—he knows that he will receive the payment provided he complies with its terms, then are there any benefits to us？

A: Yes. Because the payment will only be made by the advising bank when the exact documents specified have been received—as these are the documents of tide, then once they are in hands of th