The SBA runs three programs specifically for businesses that sell abroad — together the SBA export loan suite. They solve the classic exporter’s problem: you have orders or growth potential overseas, but you need capital to produce goods, carry foreign receivables, or expand capacity. Jaken Finance Group helps exporters get matched to the right program and provides fast interim financing when an order can’t wait. Request commercial financing or call (833) 264-7776.
The three export programs
- Export Working Capital Program (EWCP) — up to $5 million of working capital to fulfill export orders: financing inventory, production, and foreign accounts receivable, backed by a high SBA guaranty. Best when you have export orders but need capital to fill them.
- Export Express — the fast option, up to $500,000, with expedited SBA review. Funds export development, marketing, trade-show costs, and smaller working-capital needs. Revolving lines are available.
- International Trade Loan (ITL) — up to $5 million combining fixed assets and working capital for businesses expanding their export capacity or competing against imports. Real-estate and equipment components can carry long 7(a)-style terms.
What export financing funds
- Filling export orders — inventory, raw materials, production labor (EWCP)
- Foreign accounts receivable — carrying the gap until overseas customers pay
- Export development — marketing, trade missions, and market entry (Export Express)
- Capacity expansion — equipment, facilities, and working capital to grow export volume or counter import competition (ITL)
Export program terms (2026)
| Program | Max | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| EWCP | $5M | Standard | Financing specific export orders |
| Export Express | $500K | Expedited | Fast, smaller export needs & lines |
| International Trade Loan | $5M | Standard | Fixed assets + working capital to expand exports |
Lender and borrower negotiate the rate. Export Express and the International Trade loan may not exceed the SBA maximum. The SBA lenders page says EWCP has no SBA maximum interest rate limit. Confirm the quote at application.
An export financing example
A specialty manufacturer lands $2 million in orders from overseas distributors, payable 60 days after delivery. The problem is timing: it must buy raw materials and run production now, but won’t collect for months. An Export Working Capital Program loan finances the production costs and the foreign receivables, letting the manufacturer fill the orders without draining its cash. As the overseas customers pay, the line is repaid — and it’s ready for the next round of orders. Without EWCP, the company would have had to turn orders away simply because it couldn’t fund the gap.
EWCP vs the International Trade Loan
The two $5M programs solve different problems. EWCP is short-term and transaction-driven — it finances the working capital to fulfill specific export orders and revolves as you produce and collect. The International Trade Loan is longer-term and growth-driven — it funds fixed assets (facilities, equipment) plus working capital for a business expanding its export capacity or fighting import competition, with real-estate components amortizing over long 7(a)-style terms. A practical rule: use EWCP to fill the orders you have now, and the International Trade Loan to build the capacity to win bigger orders later. Export Express handles the smaller, faster needs in between. Many growing exporters use more than one over time as they scale.
Eligibility
- For-profit U.S. small business that exports, or is expanding to compete with imports
- A credible export plan or existing orders (program-dependent)
- Standard SBA underwriting and, as of March 1, 2026, 100% U.S.-citizen/national ownership residing in the United States
When timing beats an export order
Export orders have deadlines the SBA calendar doesn’t respect. When you need to produce now and finance the paperwork in parallel, Jaken Finance Group can bridge the working-capital gap while the EWCP or ITL is arranged — the same interim-financing logic behind bridge now, SBA later.
Pair financing with risk protection
Export financing works best alongside foreign-receivable protection. Because much of an exporter’s risk sits in getting paid by overseas customers, many pair an EWCP facility with export credit insurance so a foreign buyer’s non-payment doesn’t sink the deal — which in turn strengthens the loan file. The SBA’s high guaranty on export programs and the added receivable protection together make lenders far more comfortable financing international orders than they would be otherwise. Build both into your plan from the start rather than treating insurance as an afterthought.
The guaranty advantage on exports
Export programs carry the SBA’s highest guaranties, a deliberate policy choice to support U.S. exporters. Both the Export Working Capital Program and the International Trade Loan carry a 90% SBA guaranty, and Export Express guarantees 90% up to $350,000 (75% above). That elevated guaranty is what makes lenders meaningfully more willing to finance the foreign-receivable and production risk that ordinary working-capital lenders shy away from — the government is absorbing most of the downside. These SBA programs are distinct from Export-Import Bank (EXIM) financing, though exporters sometimes use both: SBA for small-business working capital and pre-export production, EXIM for larger transaction insurance and foreign-buyer financing. If you export or plan to, understanding which program (and which agency) fits each part of your trade cycle can unlock capital that a conventional lender simply won’t provide.
Guaranty, term, and collateral from the lenders page
The figures below are from the SBA lenders page, read October 7, 2026. They describe the delivery rules. They are not a rate sheet.
| Program | Maximum | SBA guaranty | Revolver limit on that page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Export Express | $500,000 | 90% at $350,000 or less; 75% above that | May not exceed 7 years |
| EWCP | $5 million | 90% | Terms of 36 months or less |
| International Trade | $5 million | 90% | Term loans, not a stated revolver |
Illustration of guaranty dollars: On a $1,000,000 EWCP loan at a 90% guaranty, the SBA guarantee covers $900,000. The lender keeps $100,000 of exposure. On a $400,000 Export Express loan, the guaranty is 75% because the loan is above $350,000, so the guaranteed piece is $300,000 and the lender keeps $100,000. On a $300,000 Export Express loan, the 90% guaranty covers $270,000.
EWCP collateral language is specific. The page says export-related inventory and the foreign receivables generated by the financed sales will, in general, be treated as adequate collateral. That is not a promise that every file is unsecured. It is a reason lenders can finance a foreign receivable that a domestic line might reject.
International Trade loans can acquire, construct, renovate, modernize, improve, or expand facilities and equipment in the United States used to produce goods or services involved in international trade. They can also fund working capital for export transactions. The posted SBA turnaround time on that program is 5–10 business days. That is the agency window, not the weeks you will spend assembling orders, financials, and a collateral assignment.
Export Express credit decisions are made by the lender. The lender uses its own forms plus SBA Form 1919. Revolving lines may not exceed seven years. Standard SBA Express, by contrast, allows revolvers up to 10 years and guarantees only 50%. Do not mix those two programs when you ask for a line. Details on the domestic version are on SBA Express loans.
The trade gap these loans are built for
The Bureau of Economic Analysis trade page reported the August 2026 goods and services deficit at $105.6 billion, up from $92.8 billion in July 2026 (revised). The goods deficit rose $12.8 billion to $136.6 billion. The services surplus was $31.0 billion. The release date on that page is October 6, 2026. Imports increased more than exports. The page does not print a single export-dollar total in the summary, so this note does not invent one.
That goods deficit is the backdrop for an International Trade loan used by a firm hurt by import competition, which the lenders page lists as an eligible purpose alongside businesses that already export or are opening new export markets. It is context, not a forecast that your buyer will pay.
Illustration: funding a 75-day collection gap
Illustration: An order book totals $800,000. Production and freight you must pay before collection equal 60%, or $480,000. The overseas buyer pays 75 days after shipment. An EWCP draw of $480,000 covers the outlay. When $800,000 arrives, the draw is repaid and $320,000 remains before overhead, duty, and insurance. That $320,000 is not profit. It is the cash left after the financed costs only.
If the buyer pays 30 days late, the line stays outstanding longer. Price the interest for the late case, not the contract case. EWCP revolvers on the lenders page are 36 months or less, so the facility can cover the next order after this one repays. It is not a 25-year real estate loan.
A standard 7(a) loan also maxes at $5 million and can fund working capital, but its guaranty on loans above $350,000 is 75% under the standard delivery method, not the 90% export guaranty. Use the export program when the receivable is foreign. Use ordinary working capital loans when the customer is domestic.
The Working Capital Pilot is a separate pilot. Its rate caps and 60-month maturity do not transfer to EWCP. EWCP is the program whose lenders page states there is no SBA maximum interest rate.
What to attach to the first export conversation
Send the purchase order, the incoterms, the buyer’s payment timing, and a cost build that ties to the draw. A single order total is not a production budget. Name the supplier, the deposit the supplier wants, and the date you must ship. If a letter of credit is the payment instrument, say so. If the buyer is open account, say that too. Those two payment styles collateralize differently under the EWCP note that inventory and foreign receivables generally support the loan.
Interim cash when the ship date will not move
Jaken Finance Group bridge loans close in 7–10 business days at 8.99%–13.5%. Illustration: A $480,000 bridge at 10% interest-only costs $4,000 for a month ($480,000 × 0.10 / 12). Use that only to buy materials before the EWCP is in place. A fix-and-flip loan uses the same rate range and close window, and it is the wrong tool for a trade receivable. DSCR rental loans close in about 14 business days at 5.75%–10.5%, and they finance rental property, not export orders.
Call (833) 264-7776 with the purchase order, the ship date, and the payment terms. Those three facts decide whether the file is EWCP, Export Express, or an International Trade loan for the plant.
Get matched for SBA export financing
Have export orders to fill or overseas growth to fund? We’ll help you pursue EWCP, Export Express, or an International Trade Loan — and bridge the timing if an order can’t wait. Request commercial financing or call (833) 264-7776.
Program details: SBA — loan programs. Rates and rules change; verify current terms at application. Jaken Finance Group helps exporters pursue EWCP, Export Express, and International Trade Loan financing.