For a long time the big players in trade finance have been HSBC, BNP Paribas and Citigroup; in recent years some of the banks have scaled back, leaving room for new investors who are looking for attractive yields; Nonbank financial institutions bought around $100 billion in trade-finance assets in 2018 and some estimate that this could reach $3 trillion in the coming years due to the fact that only a small fraction of the market is financed; many investors are looking at the asset class due to low bond yields; the Wall Street Journal shares more on the current state of trade finance and the risks involved as investors chase new opportunities. Wall Street Journal