Alternative Financing to Accommodate Growth: How the Import/Export Industry is Evolving

Import/Export Trends Over the Last Year

Import and Export activities are at their highest level since 2014. The United States Census Bureau reports that in 2017, U.S. exports of goods reached $2034 Billion. Imports* came to a total of over $2898 Billion so net trade was negative with -$663 billion due to large imports of petroleum products which were offset by larger exports than previous years for services, industrial supplies & materials, consumer goods, foods & feeds and automotive vehicles. 

Trade Finance can help your Import or Export business grow without needing an increase in Bank financing while also helping you take advantage on new opportunities around the world where credit is not readily available through traditional means. 

COVID-19 Impacting Import/Export Industries



 As Import and Export activities continue to increase with COVID-19, Import/Export companies are looking for alternative financing in order to accommodate their growth. Trade finance can help Import/Export businesses grow without needing an increase in Bank financing while also helping them take advantage of new opportunities around the world where credit is not readily available through traditional means*. 

The Importance of Partnering With Banks When it comes to trade finance, working alongside a dedicated partner such as your local commercial or investment banker, who understands both your business needs and objectives along with how they tie into the banking institution's lending policies and guidelines provides you with several advantages:

Identifying New Opportunities for Growth 

Working together allows you to find ways that may be innovative but still meet risk parameters established by the Bank. 

Mitigating Risk 

You have a partner who can help you develop financing options that may not be available otherwise and work with you to reduce risks as much as possible so your Import/Export business is protected from potential losses.

Trade Finance Tips for Companies Getting Started Import/Export companies today need alternative ways to finance their growth without going into debt. There are several tips when getting started working with trade finance: Research what kind of products, services or commodities *(commodities meaning items produced in large quantities) your company will benefit from having access to more credit through a line of trade*.

Start doing research on how it works, which Banks offer this type of financing* and if they do what types of programs they offer. Once you've found a Bank that offers trade finance, speak with your local commercial or investment banker who can help you find the best program for your Import/Export company*.

Importance of Trust in Trade Finance

With any new business relationship it is important to establish trust and transparency at all levels. This allows both parties to get on the same page quickly about expectations which ensures there are no surprises along the way. It also helps build long-term relationships between companies where they feel comfortable doing future transactions together because they know everything will run smoothly. 

How to find your Trade Finance Partner


Njord Venture Group uses Artificial Intelligence to help Import and Export companies find the ideal Financial Partners who can provide Trade Finance. 

Njord Venture Group provides Import/Export companies with a variety of financial solutions such as Trade Finance, Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC). Our partners offer these products because they understand that Import/Export businesses need flexible financing options which allow for repayment structures that work best for their business needs and budgets.

To do this, Njord utilizes Artificial Intelligence technology to find the perfect Financial Partner for each Import/Export company based on their current status in terms of funding requirements, desired length of time before they want to pay back the loan etc. 

To date, Njord has connected over 1275 Companies who were looking for Trade Finance partners, whether it was for a weekly or quarterly recurring interval. We’ve introduced companies who are trading commodities such as Gold, Soy, Copper, Steel, to name a few.

Finding a proper Financial Partner through Njord.ai ensures Import/ Export businesses can find financing options that work best for their specific needs, without having to go through traditional channels or firms who don't fully understand how Import/Export business works (such as when a client takes longer than expected to pay).

When looking into alternative financing options such as Trade Finance, it is to your advantage to reach out us; give us a proper corporate deck and a clear breakdown of the capital and use of funds, from there we’ll do the rest.

If your group is interested in learning more about how to be paired with a Financial Partner, click here.