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ACESBA

7(a) programs for businesses that sell overseas

SBA Export Loans

SBA export loans are 7(a) programs for businesses that sell overseas: Export Express (up to $500,000), the Export Working Capital Program and International Trade loans (up to $5 million each), with SBA guaranties of up to 90%.

Updated October 2026 for SOP 50 10 8.1, effective October 1, 2026.

Maximum
Up to $500,000 (Export Express) or $5 million (Export Working Capital, International Trade)
Terms
Export Express lines up to 7 years; Export Working Capital lines usually 3 years or less
Rates
Negotiated with the lender
SBA guarantee
Up to 90%
Collateral
For export working capital, export inventory and foreign receivables are generally considered adequate
How to apply
Through an SBA lender, often with help from a U.S. Export Assistance Center.

Checked against sba.gov, October 2026. Lenders set their own terms within SBA limits.

Good for

  • Financing export orders and contracts
  • Expanding into foreign markets
  • Businesses hurt by import competition

Not for

  • Businesses with no export activity

Who qualifies

  • An operating, for-profit business located in the United States
  • Small under SBA size standards for your industry
  • Not an ineligible business type (for example lending, passive real estate, gambling)
  • Every owner and required guarantor a U.S. citizen or U.S. national living in the U.S. (SOP 50 10 8.1)
  • No delinquent federal debt, such as a past-due SBA or student loan
  • Unable to get the same credit on reasonable terms without SBA help
  • Able to show the business can repay the loan
  • The same basic eligibility as a 7(a) loan
  • Export activity, export orders or plans to enter foreign markets

What to prepare

  • Export orders, contracts or letters of credit
  • Tax returns and financial statements
  • A plan for the export activity being financed

Your lender may ask for more. The Lender Document Checklist covers every program in detail.

SBA Export Loans: common questions

What does SBA guarantee on an Export Express loan?
90% for loans of $350,000 or less and 75% for loans over $350,000 up to $500,000 (SOP 50 10 8.1, Section B).
What is the Export Working Capital Program?
A 7(a) program in which SBA guarantees short-term working capital loans and lines that finance export orders, foreign receivables and export inventory.
Who can help with an SBA export loan?
An SBA lender, often working with a U.S. Export Assistance Center, which has SBA trade finance staff.