Countertrade financing: Historical example

Construction financing is continually evolving, especially with regard to the role of the contractor. Of the various schemes surfacing, countertrade financing is perhaps the most difficult for modern contractors. This barter approach where coffee beans or oil may be used to purchase construction services is really not so new or so complex as many imagine. Construction of the Texas State Capitol Building (1882-1888) provides a fascinating example of rewards, problems, and lessons of this approach.