Based on enterprise survey data, with firms surveyed during 2002 to 2006, this paper studies the causal impact of access to finance on firm exportability and how government ownership of banking sector shapes the finance–exportability link. Earlier studies measured a firm’s access to finance from its cash flow–investment correlation; this paper departs from those studies in measuring access to finance by taking self-reported measure and the uses of bank finance, and finds that access to finance significantly influences a firm’s exporting behaviour. Firms in countries with lower government ownership of banks find it difficult to access finance, which in turn affects their decision to export. The use of information technology, which can cut cost, is crucial for a firm’s decision to enter an export market.