Fiche: Talking about mode of payment, can you advise me of your regular practice in this respect?

Jiang: Positively. We generally request payment to be made by irrevocable letter of credit payable against shipping documents. It is universally adopted in the international trade.

Fiche: I wonder if you accept Documents Against Payment or Documents Against Acceptance. They are also customary in the international trade as far as I know. Our company is one of the largest in our district and enjoys a very good prestige in the business circles. I don’t think it necessary for you to feel worried about the matter of our credit standing.

Jiang: As a rule, we don’t accept D/P or D/A payment terms. This is our first transaction, it is all more necessary for us to insist on L/C payment terms.

Fiche: To speak frankly, it will add to the cost of our imports to open an L/C with a bank, especially for such a huge order. What’s more, it will cause us a great deal of difficulty.

Jiang: I appreciate your position, but it can’t be helped. If we must pay to make the goods and then wait four months for you to pay, we shall have money trouble, too.

Fiche: But it’ll be of great help if you would be a bit more flexible and accept D/P terms. You see ,it makes not much difference to you, on the other hand, it does mean great difference to us.

Jiang: I’m very sorry, Mr. Fiche. It’s beyond our power to grant your request. D/P will put us to great trouble while an L/C will give us protection of the bank. We all know it very well. And the other way round, we also pay by L/C for our imports.

Fiche: Well, it seems that we have no alternative other than accept L/C payment terms. But can you guarantee that shipment will be made as soon as you receive the L/C?

Jiang: There could be no doubt about it.

 

NEW WORDS

mode         方式                           prestige       威信，声誉

respect        方面                           circle         圈子，范围

positively      肯定地                         standing      地位

irrevocable     不可撤销的                     especially     特别地

credit          信用，信用证                   necessary     必须的

payable        可付款的                       huge          巨大

shipping       装船的                         cause          引起，造成

document      单证，文件                     difficulty       困难

universally     宇宙                           beyond         越过，在……较远一边

D/P(documents against payment)  付款交单        protection       保护

D/A(documents against acceptance) 承兑交单       alternative      替换，选择

customary      习惯的                         guarantee      保证

district         地区                           doubt         怀疑