It consists of merchants, exporters, trading companies, export oriented units, units located in export processing zones, electronic hardware technology park etc.

Export Trading House has been established to increase the export, strengthen the global market, capacity and get necessary facilities for increasing export performance of our country.

The important objectives of export trade are:
(i) Facilitating selling of goods to countries which desperately need such goods.
(ii) Expanding the market for goods by producing them on a large scale.
(iii) Earning foreign exchange through exports.
(iv) Helping a country increase the national income.
(v) Creating employment opportunity by promoting export-oriented and export-related enterprises.
(vi) Creating revenue for the government in the form of customs and excise duties.
(vii) Promoting mutual understanding and cooperation among the nations.
(viii) Achieving optimum utilisation of resources by largescale production of goods.

Commercial banks provide financial assistance in two ways, namely, pre-shipment assistance and post-shipment assistance.
(a) Pre-Shipment Financial Assistance:
(1) This type of assistance given to enable exporters to purchase raw materials process them and create finished goods for the purpose of export.
(2) This credit is given on the basis of export orders and letters of credit opened in favour of the overseas buyers.
(b) Post-Shipment Financial Assistance:
(1) It is assistance granted in the form of advances on the basis of bills of exchange and shipping documents drawn under the letter of credit.
(2) This type of export finance is granted right from the date of shipment of goods to the date of realization collection of export proceeds for the purpose of meeting capital need, paying insurance charges, ECGC Premium, Commission, and brokerage to the agent, export promotion expenses, etc.

Main functions of EXIM Bank are as follows:
(i) It provides direct financial assistance to exporters of plant, machinery and related services.
(ii) It underwrites the shares, debentures, and bonds of the companies engaged in exports.
(iii) It provides re-discount facility in respect of export bills for a period not exceeding 90 days against short-term export bill discounted by commercial bank.
(iv) It gives overseas buyer credit to foreign exporters for the import of Indian Capital Goods which are used for manufacturing export products.
(v) It finances export-oriented industries.
(vi) It collects and provides market and credit information about foreign trade to those engaged in international business.