Provision of the capital required for the export of goods and (for export financing in the broad sense) for services such as construction, engineering and development work abroad. Export financing normally takes the form of a supplier credit by the exporter and the utilization of bank loans. Letters of credit play a major role in short-term export financing. Medium to long-term financing by banks is the main form of export financing in Switzerland today. Special forms of export financing: countertrades. Export financing in Switzerland is in many cases used in conjunction with federal export risk guarantees (SERV).