This Is Why You're Here
Why Import / Exports Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
A container of goods from China costs $120K. Ocean transit takes 45 days. Customs clearance takes 10 days. Your customers pay net-30 after delivery. That's $120K tied up for 85 days per container.
Your customs broker requires a $50K bond increase for a new product category. The bond unlocks $300K/year in new import revenue but the cash requirement is immediate.
A European buyer ordered $200K in product for Q4. You need to purchase and consolidate from 3 domestic suppliers, then arrange ocean freight. Total upfront cost: $160K. The buyer pays on delivery.
New tariffs just hit your product category — duties jumped from 8% to 25%. You've got two containers on the water right now worth $240K. Clearing them costs an extra $40K you didn't budget for, and demurrage starts in 5 days.
Your freight forwarder is holding a $95K container at port because your customs broker found a classification error. Re-filing takes 2 weeks and storage fees are $350/day. You need $15K to cover port charges plus $95K to load the next shipment that's already scheduled.
Had $120K tied up in a container from China — 45 days on the water, 10 days customs, then net-30 from my buyer. That's 85 days of dead cash. Basecamp funded the full amount in 3 days so I could load the next container without waiting.
Wei C., Import/Export Trader, Long Beach, CA
Import / Export Financing
Get Your Import / Export Business Funded in 60 Seconds
Slide the calculator to see your estimated approval range. Then answer 3 quick questions to lock it in. No documents needed. Soft-pull pre-qual.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for Your Business
Why Import / Export Businesses Choose Basecamp
85-Day Cash Cycles Choke Your Growth
A container from China costs $120K. It sits on a ship for 45 days, clears customs in 10, and your buyer pays net-30 after delivery. That's 85 days of dead cash per container. You can't load the next one until the last one clears — unless you have working capital.
Customs Bonds Hit at the Worst Time
Your broker needs a $50K bond increase for a new product category. That bond unlocks $300K/year in new import revenue. But the cash requirement is immediate and your capital is floating on the Pacific. We fund bonds in days.
Currency Swings Eat Your Margins
The dollar weakened 5% since you placed your order. That $120K container now costs $126K. Your selling price is already locked. That $6K swing comes straight out of your margin. You need capital reserves to absorb currency risk.
Tariff Changes Don't Come with Warning
New tariffs hit your product category and duties jump from 8% to 25%. That's an extra $20K per container you didn't budget for. The product is already on the water. You need the cash to clear it through customs or it sits at the port racking up demurrage.
Bobby's Take
Bobby's Playbook for Import / Export
Most import and export operators carry receivables that banks treat as collateral but don't actually finance against. What specialist lenders see is that overseas-supplier deposits plus container-deposit and customs-bond receivables across ocean-freight cycles are one of the most reliable cash-flow signals in commercial lending — and they fund against it differently. Invoice factoring, asset-based lines, and stacked working capital all start from your receivables, not from your balance sheet. Here's how to position your transaction so the right specialists see it first.
Three things determine whether an import-export transaction closes: customer mix and creditworthiness, your customs-and-freight forwarder relationships, and your trailing 12-month revenue including ocean-freight cycles. Not your personal FICO. Not your time in business. Specialist import-export lenders care about whether your monthly account revenue supports a $4,500-$8,000/month payment — and whether your overseas supplier and customs relationships give the file the operational floor it needs through long shipping cycles.
The biggest mistake import-export operators make: applying without showing the timing of overseas supplier deposits, ocean-freight cycles, and customs clearance against domestic A/R aging. The lender sees a working-capital deficit and assumes liquidity strain. The fix: produce a one-page cash-cycle summary showing the timing gap between supplier deposits and customer payment. Specialist import-export lenders normalize the cash cycle. Generalist lenders apply general working-capital assumptions.
domestic rollout revenue lost without container-deposit capacity
Where this gets interesting at scale: an import-export operator adding container-deposit capacity, expanding into a new product category, or buying a warehouse doesn't need ONE loan. They need a working capital line for container and inventory deposits + purchase order financing for overseas supplier pre-pays + invoice factoring on the longer-paying domestic accounts + sometimes a SBA 504 for a warehouse. Four products, multiple lenders, one application — that's how single-product import-export operators scale into multi-product international wholesale operations.
The import-export operators who scale fastest aren't the ones who waited for the next ocean shipment to clear before placing the next overseas order. They're the ones who had container-deposit and supplier-deposit capacity ready when a domestic customer offered a new product-line rollout. Turning down a domestic rollout because you can't fund the overseas order is $150,000-$400,000 in seasonal-rollout revenue. Run the numbers in 60 seconds — see what 70+ specialist lenders will offer your import-export business this week.
Bottom line:
Import-export operators get hit with working-capital-deficit assumptions when overseas supplier and customs cycles are normal operating timing. Show the cash-cycle summary — that's how a specialist normalizes the timing gap.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
What You're Up Against
The Real Challenges Import / Exports Face
Pricing Transparency
What Import / Export Funding Actually Costs
Rates and terms depend on credit, revenue, time in business, and lender. Every business is unique — see what 70+ lenders will offer you in 60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual.
These are industry averages. Your actual rate depends on your revenue, credit profile, and time in business — it could be lower. Run your specific numbers in 30 seconds.
Calculate Your Real Cost →Import/export is the longest cash cycle in wholesale — 85 days from purchase to payment on a single container. That $120K sitting on a ship isn't earning you anything. We fund importers so they can load the next container without waiting for the last one to clear.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
How It Works
From Application to Funded in 5 Steps
No paperwork avalanche. No bank lobby. No guessing.
60-Second Intake
Tell us about your operation, product category, and monthly revenue. No inventory aging report yet.
Soft Credit Screen
We screen options with no impact on FICO or supplier credit lines.
Wholesale-Specialty Lenders Compete
70+ lenders who fund distributors, importers, and wholesalers review your file in parallel.
One Specialist, Multiple Term Sheets
Your funding specialist walks through inventory finance, PO finance, and factoring structures.
Choose Your Offer, Sign, Get Funded
E-signature. Capital lands in time to fund the next inventory buy or PO.
Import / Export Capital Uses
What Import / Export Businesses Use Funding For
Working Capital & Cash Flow
Bridge the gap between paying suppliers and collecting from customers. Keep operations running.
Inventory & Purchase Orders
Fund large inventory buys. Fill purchase orders without draining your cash reserves.
Warehouse & Facility
Expand warehouse space, add racking, or purchase a facility with SBA financing.
Fleet & Delivery
Finance delivery trucks, vans, and logistics equipment to expand your delivery radius.
Invoice Factoring
Convert net-30/60/90 receivables into cash in 24 hours. Stop waiting on slow-paying customers.
Import & Export
Bridge ocean transit cash gaps. Finance containers, customs bonds, and international freight.
Full Transparency
What Kills Your Qualification (And What Doesn't)
Most lenders won't tell you this upfront. We will.
✅ These Won't Stop You
These Can Be Deal-Breakers
Need commercial insurance for your import / export business?
Inventory and warehouse insurance is required for most business loans. InsuranceService365.com covers distribution companies across 29 states.
Don't Wait Until You Need Funding to Get Funded
Distribution is a working capital business. Customers pay net-30/60, suppliers want deposits, and the season's biggest buy hits before the season's biggest revenue. The distributors who scale pre-qualified BEFORE the next big PO arrived. By the time you're scrambling for $500K in inventory, the lender wants to see why you didn't plan ahead. Pre-qualify when turns are steady.
Ready?
See What Your Import / Export Business Qualifies For
Slide the calculator, answer 3 questions, and a specialist pulls your options within the hour.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Other Wholesale & Distribution Companies Specialties We Fund
Click any specialty for tailored financing options.
Recommended Products
Recommended Funding for Import / Export Businesses
Working Capital
Fund inventory purchases and warehouse costs. Funded in 24 hours.
Learn More →Invoice Factoring
Get paid on customer invoices today instead of waiting 30-60 days.
Learn More →Business Line of Credit
Revolving access for inventory replenishment and seasonal buys.
Learn More →Equipment Financing
Finance forklifts, racking, and warehouse equipment — asset-backed.
Learn More →FAQs
Import / Export Business Loan FAQs
Import Export Business Loans & International Trade Financing — $10K to $20M+
Import/export has the longest cash cycle in wholesale. You wire $120K to a factory in Shenzhen. The container sits on a ship for 45 days. Customs clearance takes another 10. Your buyer pays net-30 after delivery. That's 85 days of dead cash on a single container. And you can't grow if every dollar is floating on the ocean. We fund importers so they can load the next container before the last one clears. That's the difference between running 3 containers a year and running 12.
And the surprises never stop. Tariffs change. Currency swings eat your margin. Your customs broker needs a $50K bond increase. Demurrage charges pile up because you can't clear a container fast enough. Most banks don't touch import/export — too many moving parts. Our 70+ lenders include trade finance specialists who do this daily. $25K customs bond or a $2M trade facility — 60 seconds to apply, no hard pull.
Stop Letting Inventory Cycles Outpace Customer Payments. Get Your Import / Export Operation Funded Today.
60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual. No obligation.
See What You Qualify For →Soft-pull pre-qual · Free to check · Nationwide