The importance of international trade as a source of revenue for households, businesses, and countries is indisputable, but the critical role of financial institutions in enabling and expanding international trade through financing, risk management, and regulatory support is often overlooked. Hence, this paper investigated the role of financial institutions in international trade, providing a lucid and holistic overview of how these institutions undergird global commerce. It adopted a doctrinal-library-based methodology, drawing on peer-reviewed and grey literature, as well as relevant statistics. The paper outlined the categories of financial institutions: commercial banks, export credit agencies, multilateral development banks, and international financial institutions. It examined their involvement in international trade and the instruments and mechanisms they employ for trade financing. The paper further examined the risk management and regulatory compliance roles undertaken by financial institutions. It unbiasedly assesses the impact of financial institutions on global commerce, noting strides such as expanding SMEs’ access to finance and the digitization of financial services, but challenges remain. In conclusion, the paper recommends harmonizing trade standards to achieve greater equity and strengthening institutional collaboration, among other measures.