Vise tightens on importers
Greek importers are finding themselves in a difficult position as the country is increasingly being seen as a ?nonexistent state? in the collective conscience of foreigners.
Trade sources have told Kathimerini that they are viewed with suspicion abroad, bordering on hostility, in their transactions with foreign tradesmen.
Foreign suppliers are now asking their Greek clients for payment of 30 percent of the total amount due up-front before beginning production of the goods ordered. Many foreign banks have also stopped accepting checks from Greek entrepreneurs, demanding that transactions be processed entirely in cash.
Suppliers from France and Germany, for instance, have told their Greek clients that companies insuring exports to Greece do not cover transactions to this country, making life more difficult for the local commercial market.
And all this in a period when the local partners of foreign companies are also facing considerable problems due to the constant drop in consumption, which means that they are finding it increasingly hard to fulfill their obligations.
