Multilateral development banks provided $10 billion in supply chain finance to developing economies in 2026, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said, as lenders reviewed ways to widen smaller firms’ access to trade funding.
The roundtable took place in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 16, alongside the 2026 annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala joined leaders from development banks and international organizations. The WTO and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) convened the discussion.
Across all direct financing, multilateral development banks provided about $65 billion in 2026, compared with about $35 billion annually before the COVID-19 pandemic, the WTO said. Low- and middle-income countries benefit from that financing. The $10 billion supply chain finance figure for developing economies was two to three times the 2024 amount. WTO officials said this type of financing can ease cash-flow pressure for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and help them take part in international trade.
The review considered how global trade and economic shifts affect smaller firms’ ability to secure supply chain financing, particularly in low-income and vulnerable economies. Since partners made commitments in a 2024 joint statement on supply chain trade in emerging markets, their work has addressed barriers through program expansion, stronger legal and regulatory systems, improved market infrastructure, institutional capacity-building and a wider range of financing products.
Makhtar Diop, who co-chaired the roundtable as IFC’s managing director and executive vice president, said development banks can attract private investment by strengthening regulations and market conditions and deploying their capital in smaller firms and markets that lack financing. Participants also discussed ways to draw more private-sector investment into these markets and improve SMEs’ resilience in supply chains. Topics included local-currency financing for product innovation, partnerships, capacity-building and raising awareness of financial products.
Participants renewed their pledge to work through the WTO’s Supply Chain Finance Task Force, which sits within the Multilateral Development Banks Working Group. Separately, the Working Group agreed to continue coordinating efforts to expand financing opportunities in developing economies.
