World Bank Group and Citi Partner to Tackle the Trade Finance Gap Holding Back Businesses and Jobs Across Africa, Asia, and Latin America

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 29, 2026 - The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group focused on the private sector, and Citibank, N.A. (Citi) today announced a new trade finance facility designed to expand access to financing for corporate and SME businesses across emerging markets. The partnership targets companies in sectors central to economic growth and job creation, in countries where scarce and costly access to trade finance constrains their ability to import inputs, fulfill orders, and hire.

Under the partnership agreement, IFC will provide guarantees of up to $1 billion to Citi, with Citi committing an equivalent amount, creating a combined facility of up to $2 billion. Over the next three years, the facility is expected to support more than 100 companies across the target markets. It will initially operate across multiple countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with further expansion planned.

IFC's guarantees will free up balance sheet capacity for Citi, which the bank will deploy as additional lending to businesses. Drawing on that freed-up capacity, Citi will deploy a minimum of $500 million of its own trade financing to companies operating in sectors with climate benefits, including water and sanitation infrastructure, renewable energy, energy-efficient manufacturing, and sustainable agriculture.

The scale of the challenge is significant: the global trade finance gap is estimated at $2.5 trillion, concentrated in developing economies where businesses face the steepest barriers to accessing affordable financing.

“Access to trade finance is one of the most direct levers for strengthening supply chains and supporting economic growth across emerging markets,” said Mohamed Gouled, IFC Vice President, Products and Clients. “By acting as a risk partner, IFC supports Citi in multiplying their reach to companies that drive job creation across emerging markets. This is also an effective structure we believe other global banks could adopt.”

“Expanding access to trade finance in emerging markets is a strategic priority for Citi," said Stephanie von Friedeburg, Citi Global Head of Public Sector Banking. "IFC's participation strengthens our capacity to support a broader range of businesses and the employment and economic activity that depends on them, in markets where access to financing remains a genuine constraint on growth.”

“Broadening risk-participation frameworks across emerging markets remains central to Citi's trade finance strategy," said Adoniro Cestari, Global Head of Trade and Working Capital Solutions at Citi. "As a first-of-its-kind initiative, this facility accelerates our sustainable lending commitments and delivers vital liquidity and working capital support to clients across developing nations.”

Today's announcement builds on a long-standing partnership between IFC and Citi. Since 2006, the two institutions together have financed approximately $65 billion in emerging markets trade through IFC's Global Trade Finance Program and Global Trade Liquidity Program, including $8.6 billion in IDA countries.