The Concept and Legal Nature of Transferable Letter of Credit

The article analyzes the concept and legal nature of a transferable letter of credit in the comparative legal aspect. The author compares the legal structure of a transferable letter of credit under the civil code with the legal regulation of a transferable letter of credit under the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP) (2007 edition, ICC publication No. 600). Under the law, transferable letters of credit mean such letters of credit that the payer (applicant) and/or issuing Bank allowed to transfer to the second beneficiaries. The transfer of the letter of credit is executed in two transactions. First, the first beneficiary shall unilaterally declare his will addressed to the transferring Bank where the first beneficiary shall propose to the Bank to change the range of possible beneficiaries under the letter of credit. The will of the first beneficiary should be qualified as a unilateral transaction on behalf of the first beneficiary concerning the full or partial exemption of the issuing Bank (confirming Bank) from the original offer (opening of the letter of credit), if the transfer of the letter of credit to the second beneficiaries is made. Second, a transferring Bank makes a unilateral transaction to transfer the letter of credit to the second beneficiaries. This transaction is made by the transferring Bank on behalf, at the expense and in the interests of the issuing Bank (confirming Bank) on the basis of the authority granted under terms of the letter of credit. A unilateral transaction of the transferring Bank concerning the transfer of a letter of credit is an offer made on behalf of the issuing Bank (confirming Bank), and brought to the attention of the second beneficiaries (beneficiary) with a proposal to conclude a contract for the payment (acceptance and payment of a bill of exchange) against the relevant financial and/or commercial documents. At the same time, the transfer of the letter of credit leads to a change in the original offer to open a letter of credit to the first beneficiary in terms of a range of possible future acceptors.