Improving the availability of trade finance in developing countries: An assessment of remaining gaps

Arbeitspapier

While conditions in trade finance markets returned to normality in the main routes of trade, the structural difficulties of poor countries in accessing trade finance have not disappeared - and might have been worsened during and after the global financial crisis. In fact, there is a consistent flow of information indicating that trade finance markets have remained characterized by a greater selectivity in risk-taking and flight to "quality" customers. In that environment, the lower end of the market has been struggling to obtain affordable finance, with the smaller companies in the smaller, poorer countries most affected. In an area where statistics are difficult to find, this paper looks at recent available information and provides background on the persistent and significant market gaps for trade finance in developing countries, notably in Africa and developing Asia. It discusses various initiatives in which the WTO and partner institutions are involved to alleviate in part this situation.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: WTO Staff Working Paper ; No. ERSD-2015-06

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations ; International Lending and Debt Problems ; Financial Aspects of Economic Integration ; International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations ; Banks; Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages ; Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
• Subject: trade financing ; cooperation with international financial institutions ; coherence ; G-20 ; developing countries

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Auboin, Marc
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): World Trade Organization (WTO)
• (where): Geneva
• (when): 2015

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.30875/af342241-en
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/110981
• Last update: 07.04.2025, 8:03 AM CEST