Companies surveyed noted that if trade finance available to them was doubled they would significantly boost production and exports, hire more staff, raise salaries, and invest in other business, highlighting the critical importance of trade credit to economic growth.

With the Trans-Pacific Partnership and ASEAN Economic Community coming online over the next few years, demand for trade finance could rise and guarantees offered by export credit agencies, and multilateral development banks like ADB, will play a vital role in realizing maximum potential from these new opportunities for enhanced trade, growth and job creation,  the survey said.

ADB's Trade Finance Program (TFP) closes market gaps for trade finance by providing guarantees and loans to banks to support trade.  Since 2009, TFP has supported over $20 billion in trade through more than 10,000 transactions. TFP operates in the most challenging markets throughout Asia and expanded to Myanmar last October 2015. TFP has supported over 6,000 SMEs since 2009.

The survey conducted earlier this year aims to understand where and why gaps in global trade finance exist and their impact on jobs and growth. It received responses from over 250 banks across 86 countries—more than double the previous year's number. As the survey has been upgraded and amended since it first began in 2012, results are not directly comparable year-on-year.
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