Under a letter of credit arrangement in international trade, the bank that opens the credit on behalf of the importer is referred to as the

The issuing bank (also called the opening bank) is the importer's bank that opens the letter of credit and undertakes to pay the exporter once the stipulated documents are presented. The advising bank notifies the exporter of the credit, the confirming bank adds its guarantee, and the negotiating bank discounts the documents presented by the exporter.