I tried to opened a business at that time and they asked what countries we think we might have customers in. I came up with a list off the top of my head and on that list was a potential customer in Mexico (which has the 15th biggest economy in the world so it shouldn't be that unusual). Anyway we never got anywhere with them and 3 months later they told us they couldn't open the account. I too wish they would have been open about it. It only took 3 days to get an account opened with Barclays across the street.

Ironically HSBC at the time had adverts plastered at airports all over the world bragging at how good they are for international businesses...