The aim of this paper is to review the literature on the link between finance and international trade. First, export performance is shown to strongly depend on sectors' or firms' external finance dependence. More vulnerable firms or sectors export less than others. Moreover, insufficient financial development and financial crises harm exports to a greater extent when firms or sectors are dependent on external finance. Second, trade finance plays a key role in financing trade and provides a powerful transmission channel for financial shocks, which affect international trade to a greater extent than domestic activities. Moreover there is a reciprocal causality between trade and finance. Finally, financial reforms and trade liberalization appear to be complementary, indicating that trade openness reforms are more effective in promoting GDP growth when financial systems are well developed.