WTO ‘Call to Action’ Seeks To Reduce ‘Disinclination’ To Finance SMEs

A new World Trade Organization report focuses attention on the perceived “lack of trade finance” as a “significant non-tariff barrier to trade” for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), primarily in developing countries. “Trade financing gaps arise due to a mix of structural and development factors,” the report says, adding: “The disinclination of the global financial sector to invest in developing countries after the 2008-09 financial crisis compounds the problem as local-banking sectors are often not equipped to fill the market...