Deutsche Bank
Report published September 1, 2025
A Guide to Trade Finance (Second Edition) – Deutsche Bank Research
Deutsche Bank · September 1, 2025
A comprehensive 103-page guide by Deutsche Bank detailing the trade finance ecosystem, including traditional products, supply chain finance, and the emerging digital and sustainable finance frameworks.
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Finvaulta summarizes Deutsche Bank's analysis. Attribute opinions, forecasts, time-sensitive values, and chronology to the issuer and report date; do not treat this page as an independent verification or a current market-data source.
Key Takeaways
- 1.Global trade reached a record US$33 trillion in 2024, yet demand for trade finance significantly outstrips supply, with the trade finance gap estimated at US$2.5 trillion.
- 2.The 'Risk Ladder' is the fundamental framework for matching trade settlement methods (Open Account to Payment in Advance) to the risk profiles of buyers and sellers.
- 3.The legal evolution toward digital trade is accelerating with the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) and the UK's Electronic Trade Documents Act.
Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Introduction to trade finance
- Transactional trade finance
- Supply chain finance
- Natural resources finance
- Structured trade and export finance, and export credit insurance
- Development finance
- Other forms of trade finance provision
- Managing trade finance risk
- Payments and foreign exchange (FX)
- Sustainable finance in a trade context
- Trade finance and its digital evolution
- Financial crime prevention
Report data
Figure 4: The trade settlement risk ladder
| Metric | Estimate | Context |
|---|---|---|
| World merchandise trade value | 24.43 trillion USD | Merchandise trade rose by 2% from 2023. |
| Global trade volume (total) | 33 trillion USD | Global trade volume in 2024 at a new record. |
| Trade finance gap | 2.5 trillion USD | Unmet demand for trade finance. |
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Authors / Editors
David Meynell · Contributing editorMoritz Doernemann · Contributor