XML 102 R44.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.1.9

Allowance for credit losses (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract] |
Allowance for Credit Losses on Financing Receivables [Table Text Block] | The Bank classifies the allowance for credit losses into two components as follows:
| a) | Allowance for loan losses:
|  | December 31, 2014 |
|  |  |  |  | Banking and |  | Middle |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  | financial |  | market |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Corporations |  | institutions |  | companies |  | Sovereign |  | Total |
Balance at beginning of the period |  |  | 31,516 |  |  | 30,865 |  |  | 10,369 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 72,751 |
Provision (reversal of provision) for loan losses |  |  | 11,250 |  |  | 647 |  |  | (5,001) |  |  | (1) |  |  | 6,895 |
Loan recovenies and other |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 29 |  |  | - |  |  | 29 |
Loans written-off |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |
Balance at end of the period |  |  | 42,766 |  |  | 31,512 |  |  | 5,397 |  |  | - |  |  | 79,675 |
Components: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Generic allowance |  |  | 40,482 |  |  | 31,512 |  |  | 5,266 |  |  | - |  |  | 77,260 |
Specific allowance |  |  | 2,284 |  |  | - |  |  | 131 |  |  | - |  |  | 2,415 |
Total allowance for loan losses |  |  | 42,766 |  |  | 31,512 |  |  | 5,397 |  |  | - |  |  | 79,675 |
|  | December 31, 2013 |
|  |  |  |  | Banking and |  | Middle |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  | financial |  | market |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Corporations |  | institutions |  | companies |  | Sovereign |  | Total |
Balance at beginning of the period |  |  | 32,488 |  |  | 28,836 |  |  | 10,887 |  |  | 765 |  |  | 72,976 |
Provision (reversal of provision) for loan losses |  |  | (972) |  |  | 656 |  |  | (518) |  |  | (764) |  |  | (1,598) |
Loan recovenies and other |  |  | - |  |  | 1,373 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 1,373 |
Loans written-off |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |
Balance at end of the period |  |  | 31,516 |  |  | 30,865 |  |  | 10,369 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 72,751 |
Components: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Generic allowance |  |  | 30,562 |  |  | 30,865 |  |  | 10,369 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 71,797 |
Specific allowance |  |  | 954 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 954 |
Total allowance for loan losses |  |  | 31,516 |  |  | 30,865 |  |  | 10,369 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 72,751 |
|  | December 31, 2012 |
|  |  |  |  | Banking and |  | Middle |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  | financial |  | market |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Corporations |  | institutions |  | companies |  | Sovereign |  | Total |
Balance at beginning of the period |  |  | 48,865 |  |  | 30,523 |  |  | 8,952 |  |  | 207 |  |  | 88,547 |
Provision (reversal of provision) for loan losses |  |  | (8,887) |  |  | (1,704) |  |  | 1,690 |  |  | 558 |  |  | (8,343) |
Loan recovenies and other |  |  | - |  |  | 17 |  |  | 245 |  |  | - |  |  | 262 |
Loans written-off |  |  | (7,490) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (7,490) |
Balance at end of the period |  |  | 32,488 |  |  | 28,836 |  |  | 10,887 |  |  | 765 |  |  | 72,976 |
Components: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Generic allowance |  |  | 32,488 |  |  | 28,836 |  |  | 10,887 |  |  | 765 |  |  | 72,976 |
Specific allowance |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |
Total allowance for loan losses |  |  | 32,488 |  |  | 28,836 |  |  | 10,887 |  |  | 765 |  |  | 72,976 |
Disclosure Related To Loan Balances and Reserves For Loan Losses [Table Text Block] | Following is a summary of loan balances and reserves for loan losses:
|  | December 31, 2014 |
|  |  |  | Banking and |  | Middle |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  | financial |  | market |  |  |  |  |
|  | Corporations |  | institutions |  | companies |  | Sovereign |  | Total |
Allowance for loan losses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Generic allowance |  |  | 40,482 |  |  | 31,512 |  |  | 5,266 |  |  | - |  |  | 77,260 |
Specific allowance |  |  | 2,284 |  |  | - |  |  | 131 |  |  | - |  |  | 2,415 |
Total of allowance for loan losses |  |  | 42,766 |  |  | 31,512 |  |  | 5,397 |  |  | - |  |  | 79,675 |
Loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans with generic allowance |  |  | 3,828,835 |  |  | 2,370,936 |  |  | 482,439 |  |  | - |  |  | 6,682,210 |
Loans with specific allowance |  |  | 3,125 |  |  | - |  |  | 909 |  |  | - |  |  | 4,034 |
Total loans |  |  | 3,831,960 |  |  | 2,370,936 |  |  | 483,348 |  |  | - |  |  | 6,686,244 |
|  | December 31, 2013 |
|  |  |  |  | Banking and |  | Middle |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  | financial |  | market |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Corporations |  | institutions |  | companies |  | Sovereign |  | Total |
Allowance for loan losses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Generic allowance |  |  | 30,562 |  |  | 30,865 |  |  | 10,369 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 71,797 |
Specific allowance |  |  | 954 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 954 |
Total of allowance for loan losses |  |  | 31,516 |  |  | 30,865 |  |  | 10,369 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 72,751 |
Loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans with generic allowance |  |  | 3,310,931 |  |  | 2,259,991 |  |  | 574,107 |  |  | 144 |  |  | 6,145,173 |
Loans with specific allowance |  |  | 3,125 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 3,125 |
Total loans |  |  | 3,314,056 |  |  | 2,259,991 |  |  | 574,107 |  |  | 144 |  |  | 6,148,298 |
Disclosure Related To Reserve For Losses On Off-Balance Sheet Credit Risk [Table Text Block] | Reserve for losses on off-balance sheet credit risk:
|  |  | December 31, |
|  |  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |
Balance at beginning of the period |  |  | 5,222 |  |  | 4,841 |  |  | 8,887 |
Provision for losses on off-balance sheet credit risk |  |  | 1,627 |  |  | 381 |  |  | (4,046) |
Balance at end of the period |  |  | 6,849 |  |  | 5,222 |  |  | 4,841 |

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure related to loan balances and reserves for loan losses at the end of the period. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | blx_DisclosureRelatedToLoanBalancesAndReservesForLoanLossesTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | blx_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure related to reserve for losses on off-balance sheet credit risk. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | blx_DisclosureRelatedToReserveForLossesOnOffBalanceSheetCreditRiskTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | blx_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of financing receivables (examples of financing receivables include loans, trade accounts receivable and notes receivable) and activity in the allowance for credit losses account. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 11B -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953423-111524 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AllowanceForCreditLossesOnFinancingReceivablesTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ReceivablesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration