IDB Invest and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) signed a $25 million guarantee facility for trade-related assets on June 10, 2026, in Bridgetown, Barbados, aimed at expanding access to trade finance in smaller markets across the Caribbean. The agreement was signed during Sustainability Week 2026, IDB Invest’s flagship event, according to a press release by the Caribbean Development Bank. The facility establishes a framework under which CDB will issue partial guarantees over IDB Invest’s Trade Finance Facilitation Program (TFFP). The mechanism allows for risk-participating while maintaining efficient capital deployment to scale trade flows. It supports private-sector-led growth through the mobilization of common resources.
The TFFP has a 20-year track record financing trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. Access to adequate and timely trade finance is essential for economic development, yet it remains a challenge for companies across the region. About 80% of global trade relies on this type of funding. The global trade finance gap is estimated at $2.5 trillion, especially affecting emerging markets. Since 2005, TFFP has supported over 36,000 trade transactions totaling more than $21 billion, including $4.8 billion in mobilization.
The program will focus on supporting financial institutions in CDB borrowing member countries (BMCs). These include The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The facility will help facilitate imports and exports of essential goods and commodities. It is grounded in efforts to widen access to finance across BMCs. The partnership combines regional insight with instruments to reduce borrowing costs and unlock capital.
“This partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank reflects our commitment to expanding access to trade finance across the Caribbean while using innovative risk-participation instruments to maximize development impact,” said Mr. James P. Scriven, CEO of IDB Invest.
He added that working together would channel more resources to local financial institutions, support trade flows, and help build more resilient and competitive economies in the region. Mr. Daniel M. Best, CDB President, said the facility brings together regional insight and the right instruments. He noted the institutions are taking concrete steps to close the trade finance gap. He added that the partnership will advance sustainable economic growth across the Caribbean.
Sustainability Week 2026 brought together more than 800 participants in Barbados, including 350 private sector companies. The event explored business and investment opportunities across Latin America and the Caribbean. It also aimed to support private-sector-led growth in the region. The agreement marks a step in expanding trade finance access for smaller Caribbean markets. The collaboration between IDB Invest and CDB seeks to strengthen regional trade flows through pooled resources and shared risk.