Global trade is shifting fast. In April 2025, the WTO said 2025 merchandise trade volume is set to fall 0.2%, while services trade may grow 4.0%. Goods exports in 2024 totaled $24.43T. That mix raises risk and creates timing gaps that trade finance can bridge.

Liquidity is available but uneven. In Q1 2025, cross-border bank credit hit a record $34.7T, up $1.5T in one quarter, with lending to non-bank financial institutions growing 14% year over year.

US credit conditions are tighter. The Fed’s July 2025 SLOOS reports banks tightened standards and saw weaker demand for C&I loans in Q2 2025. CFOs still needing inventory and receivables funding are pivoting to structured trade solutions.

Trade momentum is not dead. UNCTAD estimates global trade grew by ~$300B in H1 2025, led by US imports and EU exports, though growth is patchy across sectors.

Policy matters. The OECD Arrangement (Sept 2024) now allows repayment terms up to 22 years for eligible climate, water, and related projects. That widens the toolkit for export-linked project funding.

Provider and Solution Landscape 2025

Banks still anchor letters of credit, confirmations, standby LCs, guarantees, and export credit. Non-bank platforms and insurers accelerate document handling, risk transfer, and receivables finance. Private credit joins selectively to fund pools and large programs. Awards lists from respected publications confirm this dual track of bank and non-bank leadership, with regional winners across the US and global categories. Your selection should balance price, speed, geographic reach, and digital maturity rather than a headline award alone.

Category Guide

Letters of Credit remain the core instrument when you must turn supplier risk into bank risk. Confirmation adds a second bank’s promise so a seller ships on time. Standby LCs and guarantees backstop bids, performance, and payment in EPC and distribution. Receivables finance advances cash against invoices and often pairs with trade credit insurance to improve advance rates. Supply Chain Finance lets you extend days payable outstanding while suppliers take early pay; the economics rest on the buyer’s credit rather than the supplier’s. Export credit agency support unlocks longer tenors and better risk cover for capital equipment and projects. The OECD Arrangement now allows repayment terms up to 22 years for eligible climate, water, and related transactions, widening the bankable universe for US developers and exporters.

US Outlook and What It Means for Structures

The WTO upgrade to 0.9% volume growth reflects a timing effect. Many US importers pulled demand into the first half to beat tariff changes. That creates inventory bulges now and softer orders later. In this setting, shipment-linked loans, confirmed LCs, and insured receivables help you match cash to goods movement and avoid rate surprises tied to personal loan interest rates. The Fed’s SLOOS shows bank risk appetite is selective. Deals that lean on documents, Incoterms, and ICC rules still move. The BIS numbers tell you liquidity exists offshore and in non-bank channels if you can structure to it.

UNCTAD’s 300-billion-dollar first-half expansion confirms that value is flowing even with policy noise. Services trade stays resilient. Freight indices have recovered from early-year lows. Timing, tenor, and risk allocation are the levers you control.

How Mountaintop Capital Partners LLC Fits

We design financing that follows the trade. We arrange LC issuance and confirmation so suppliers ship without drama. We set up receivables finance with or without insurance so exporters turn paper into cash. We implement Supply Chain Finance that keeps suppliers liquid while buyers manage working capital. For projects and capital equipment, we work with ECAs to align tenor and risk cover with delivery schedules using the latest Arrangement terms where eligible. When scale or speed require it, we syndicate with private credit to add capacity

Selection Criteria That Drive Results

Pick providers that can evidence documentary rigor, sanctions competence, and digital readiness for e-docs and data checks. Ask about confirmation corridors that match your lanes. Validate receivables eligibility rules up front to avoid dilution fights later. Confirm how the platform integrates with your online banking so reconciliations do not stall cash application. If a bank line is tight, consider a dual track using insured receivables and a private-credit take-out. The Fed’s and BIS’s latest reads support that approach.

Sectors We See Succeeding in 2025

Manufacturers use confirmed LCs and pre-shipment finance to lock supply and protect margins. Distributors smooth seasonality with Supply Chain Finance and factoring. Energy transition and water projects lean on ECA support for tenors that match asset life under the modernized Arrangement. Real estate developers and EPC contractors combine milestone guarantees with receivables financing for downstream equipment packages. The common thread is simple. Price the risk you can document.

Current Facts You Can Quote

On August 8, 2025, the WTO projected 0.9% merchandise trade growth for 2025 and flagged tariff risks to 2026. On July 31, 2025, the BIS reported record cross-border bank credit of 34.7 trillion dollars and 14% year-over-year growth in lending to non-banks. On August 4, 2025, the Fed’s SLOOS showed tighter standards and weaker demand for C&I loans in Q2. On July 8, 2025, UNCTAD said global trade grew by roughly 300 billion dollars in the first half of 2025, led by stronger US imports and EU exports. On September 2, 2024, the OECD confirmed repayment terms up to 22 years for eligible climate and water transactions under the Arrangement.

Next Step

Tell us your trade cycle and counterparties. We will map risk, align documents, and structure funding that fits your timeline. Start with our Loans & Project Financing