Idioms /4.1/

a lot of paperwork - many forms, documents that have to be completed

Fire away! - I am ready to give you any information you may require

to twist smb's arm - to put pressure on smb.

to beat smb. down - to make smb. lower the price

up to my eyes - very busy

PART 2 BUSINESS TERMS /4.2/

import merchant - a person who buys foreign goods, stocks them, and sells in his home country

Office Manager - a manager in charge of an office. He/she has special responsibility for dealing with documents, records, and the passing of information needed by management and other workers in an organisation

shipping agent - the business representative of a shipowner at a port

to release the goods - to allow the importer to take away the goods

Import Licence – a document obtained from the government which permits someone to import certain goods

to expire - to come to an end, to no longer be effective

to come into effect - to come into operation

to renew - to extend the time for which the licence is to be effective

to present the documents - to show formally the documents

to apply for - to make a formal request for

Certificate of Value and Origin - a document signed by the exporter or a Chamber of Commerce showing the value of the goods and the country in which they were produced or manufactured

to countersign - to add a second signature to a document

to stamp - to put an official mark on a document, using a special instrument (stamp)

Chamber of Commerce - an association of firms engaged in a variety of business activities which seeks to promote and protect the trade interests of member firms

Consulate - a government office in a foreign country which carries out certain commercial duties

Customs Declaration Form - a statement made to the Customs listing goods on which duty will have to be paid

Commercial Invoice - an export invoice sent by the seller to the buyer - either directly or through a bank - recording the sale of goods

Consular Invoice - an invoice which requires the signature of the consul of the country to which the goods are being sent

Insurance Certificate - a short document issued by an insurance company declaring that an insurance contract exists and repeating the essential conditions

Customs clearance - authorisation by the Customs allowing goods to be removed (cleared) from Customs for delivery elsewhere

Idioms /4.2/

You can say that again! - You are absolutely right

to be held up - to be delayed

What are they playing at? - What are they doing - the suggestion is that they are doing smth silly or not serious

every document under the sun - every document they could possibly require

to start from scratch - to start from the beginning, from zero

to pull a few strings - to use influence with people who can help you get what you want

red tape - silly rules, full of details, that delay business

snags - unexpected problems, difficulties

to get on to smth right away – to deal with smth immediately

UNIT 5 METHODS OF PAYMENT

PART 1 BUSINESS TERMS /5.1/

Export Department - the division in a company which deals with selling goods to overseas customers

Banker's Transfer - a system for making international money transfers. The bank is told to pay a certain sum to a named person abroad. It makes the payment through its branch, agent or correspondent bank (see below) in the payee's country. Then it debits the sum to the payer's account

Managing Director - a company director who has overall responsibility for managing the day-to-day affairs of the company. He is next in importance to the Chairman or he may be the Chairman

to advise someone of shipment - to tell/inform the buyer, usually by letter, that the goods ordered have been sent off

to credit money to someone's account - to pay money into someone's account

to notify - to inform, tell

correspondent bank - a bank which is an agent for another bank, especially one which acts as an agent in a foreign town of a bank that has no branch there

the credit was established in our name - the Letter of Credit was made out in our name, so that we have the right to be paid for the goods after producing the export documents

valid - effective, having legal force

set of clean Bills of Lading - bills which acknowledge that the goods were received by the shipowner in good condition and order

Sight Draft - a bill of exchange which is payable at sight, i.e. when it is presented to the debtor

drawn on Lloyds for & 30,000 - the bill of exchange instructs the bank to pay & 30,000 to the company

contract - a legally-binding agreement between two or more persons or companies

to specify - to state as a condition

to meet the terms of the Letter of Credit - to be exactly as the Letter of Credit requires