SBA loan type · from the federal record
International Trade: who lends it, and what to expect
International Trade is long-term financing for businesses growing through exports or squeezed by import competition. In the last five years it was 0.3% of all SBA 7(a) loans, at a typical size of $1.89M. Below: the rules, who actually writes it, and how its loans have performed.
The rules, in plain English
Best for: exporters and import-hit firms. Rules current to SOP 50 10 8 (effective June 1, 2025); amounts and guarantees can change.
Who actually lends International Trade
most International Trade loans, last 5 years| Lender | International Trade loans | Share of its lending |
|---|---|---|
| FinWise Bank | 49 | 7.5% |
| Byline Bank | 35 | 5.3% |
| Beacon Bank and Trust | 31 | 4.7% |
| Colony Bank | 22 | 3.4% |
| Live Oak Banking Company | 20 | 3.0% |
| Firstrust Savings Bank | 19 | 2.9% |
| Lake Michigan CU | 18 | 2.7% |
| BayFirst National Bank | 17 | 2.6% |
| The Huntington National Bank | 14 | 2.1% |
| Meridian Bank | 14 | 2.1% |
These are the lenders writing the most International Trade loans in the federal record — the right doors to knock on for this product. Match your specific deal to lenders →
What borrowers use it for
Of recent International Trade loans, 137 financed a business acquisition and 29 opened a startup. Its busiest states are FL, CA, TX.
How we know
so you can check itSource. SBA’s 7(a) FOIA release of 2026-06-30. The program is read from the loan-level processing method field. Size and share cover 656 funded loans over the last five fiscal years; the default rate covers 1,124 loans approved through 2018 and old enough to judge. The federal file records approved loans only, so it cannot tell you the odds of approval — only what got funded, and by whom.
The other SBA loan types
Standard 7(a) → SBA Express → CAPLines → Community Advantage → Export Working Capital (EWCP) → Export Express →