World Bank Group to Increase Access to Trade Finance in Developing Countries to Create and Protect Jobs

Washington, June 18, 2026—The World Bank Group has created a new framework that will add guarantees from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency to cover state-owned banks under the International Finance Corporation’s Global Trade Liquidity Program (GTLP). The program supports trade in low- and middle-income countries through risk-sharing facilities with leading global and regional commercial banks. The first facility approved for inclusion under the framework is with HSBC.

The new framework will expand the range of financing offered through the GTLP to grow both public and private sector coverage, increasing the universe of banks under the GTLP, helping to narrow the global trade finance gap, and creating and protecting jobs in countries that need them the most.

HSBC is a long-standing partner of the World Bank Group and plays an important role in global trade finance, having facilitated around $900 billion in trade last year.

Under the new MIGA-IFC framework, MIGA will add $500 million of guarantees to the GTLP on a facility-by-facility basis that will cover risk of non-payment on trade transactions by eligible state-owned banks, which play an important role in trade finance in emerging markets and developing economies. The partnership will help both public and private sector banks extend more short-term financing to clients, including small and medium-sized enterprises, addressing a persistent global trade finance gap estimated at $2.5 trillion.

"Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of job creation in emerging markets, but many still face severe constraints in accessing trade and supply chain finance," said IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop. "By combining our expertise and networks, this partnership will help unlock the working capital businesses need to expand, strengthen supply chains, and create more jobs and economic opportunities."

“Facilitating the flow of trade, particularly during times of global instability, is essential to protecting economic resilience, livelihoods, and jobs in developing countries, which makes this collaboration to expand the suite of guarantees offered under the GTLP to strengthen the program so critical,” said MIGA Managing Director Tsutomu Yamamoto. “The partnership with IFC and HSBC, a long-standing and valued development partner of the World Bank Group, is also a testament to the World Bank Group's unique ability to offer our banking clients a comprehensive suite of tailored products and services to support their work in developing countries under one umbrella.”

“Trade is a powerful driver of sustainable growth. This new MIGA-IFC framework under the Global Trade Liquidity Program is a practical step to help narrow the trade finance gap by enabling more risk-sharing with eligible state-owned banks. By combining the World Bank Group’s guarantee capabilities with HSBC’s global trade network, we can support more transactions, strengthen trade, and help drive more resilient economies where it matters most.” said Sir Danny Alexander, CEO of Infrastructure Finance & Sustainability at HSBC.

Launched in 2009, the GTLP brings together IFC’s knowledge of and experience in emerging markets with global private sector banks to support trade in developing markets. To date, the program has facilitated over $103 billion in global trade volume, supporting more than 400 financial institutions in 75 emerging markets, including 30 IDA and 7 fragile and conflict-affected countries. Through its trade support, the GTLP benefits thousands of importers and exporters, many of which are small- and medium-sized enterprises.

MIGA’s trade finance guarantees provide protection against losses resulting from the failure of a sovereign, state-owned bank or public authority to pay an unconditional financial obligation related to a trade finance transaction.

About the World Bank Group
The World Bank Group works to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet through a combination of financing, knowledge, and expertise. It consists of the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, ida.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, www.ifc.org, and icsid.worldbank.org.

About HSBC Holdings plc 

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of HSBC, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 56 countries and territories. With assets of US$3,306bn at 31 March 2026, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.