See What Trade Finance Costs Per Shipment
Importing stock ties up cash long before you get paid. This calculator estimates how much funding you'll need to cover each shipment, what it might cost over the trade cycle, and how it impacts your margins and cash flow.
Who it's for
Importers, wholesalers and product-based businesses buying stock from overseas or local suppliers on upfront / short terms who want to understand how trade finance can bridge the gap between paying suppliers and getting paid by customers.
What it calculates
Total purchase cost per shipment, how much could be funded with trade finance, the interest cost over the funding period, and how that changes your cash outlay and per-unit margins.
Why it matters
Cash alone limits how much stock you can buy; finance alone can quietly erode margins. Seeing the numbers helps you size a facility that supports growth without crushing profitability.
Trade Finance Calculator
Order & cost
Convert FX to AUD before entering.
Total for this shipment.
Optional — needed for margin view.
Trade-cycle timing
Trade finance structure
How much of the order you'll fund vs pay from cash.
Typical: 7–14% p.a. depending on structure and credit.
Affects effective funding days.
Use if your facility is fixed-term rather than running the full cycle.
Order & margin snapshot
Trade finance requirement & cost
Margin after funding
Order still makes sense? Match the right facility.
If your order still makes sense after factoring in trade finance, the next step is to match your funding limit and structure to your trade cycle.
How this Trade Finance Calculator works
The calculator starts with your order size and cost, then adds simple trade-cycle timing — how long cash is tied up from paying the supplier to getting paid by customers. It models a facility that funds part or all of the order for that period at an annual interest rate, giving you an estimated funding cost and showing how it changes your per-unit cost and margin. It's designed as a directional planning tool, not a replica of any specific bank or lender's exact charging method.
Funded amount = Total order cost × Funded %
Funding cost = Funded amount × Rate × (Funding days ÷ 365)
Funding days default to your full trade cycle if funding starts at the deposit, or to "stock arrival → cash in bank" if funding starts on shipment arrival. You can override with a fixed-term facility (e.g. 90 days). Per-unit cost spreads order cost and funding cost across units, then your target selling price drives the gross margin view.
How to interpret your results
- Healthy margin before and after finance. Your product can support growth using trade finance; funding simply smooths cash flow and may let you scale order sizes without eroding economics.
- Strong margin before, tight after. The deal works in principle, but long cycles or high rates are eating into the upside. Shorter cycles, better terms or part-funding may bring margins back into a safer range.
- Weak or negative margin after finance. The combination of costs and trade cycle makes this order risky; revisit supplier pricing, selling price, product choice or whether the order is viable at all.
- Test less-optimistic scenarios. Real-world FX, freight and delays move; keep some buffer in your assumptions before committing.
How to find a repayment that fits your budget
For trade finance that converts into a term loan or has scheduled repayments:
- Use the funded amount and a realistic funding period as inputs to your main loan repayment or stress-test tool.
- Check projected repayments, combined with your other commitments, sit comfortably within your monthly cash-flow forecasts.
- If repayments look heavy, consider funding a smaller portion of the order, shortening your trade cycle (deposits, faster debtor terms) or pairing trade finance with invoice finance to reduce days you're out of pocket.
- Aim for a setup where trade finance supports growth without forcing constant rollover or emergency borrowing just to meet repayments.
Calculator assumptions
This calculator uses straight-line interest (no compounding) on the funded amount over the funding period and assumes a single shipment. It does not separately model letters of credit, documentary collections, FX movements, demurrage or per-shipment lender fees. Funding days default to the full trade cycle (deposit start) or stock-arrival to cash in bank (arrival start), with an optional override for fixed-term facilities. Real provider pricing may include line fees, FX margins, transaction fees and minimum charges that aren't separately modelled. This calculator does not constitute financial, tax or credit advice. Reviewed by the LoanGorilla editorial team — last updated May 2026.