CDB engages Caribbean bankers on Trade Guarantee Programme

Published on November 24, 2025

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank) unveiled its new Trade Finance Guarantee Programme (TFGP) to regional banking leaders, marking a significant step toward enhancing access to trade finance for Caribbean enterprises, particularly Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).

Speaking at the Caribbean Association of Banks Annual Conference, held at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Isaac Solomon, Vice President (Operations) of CDB, introduced the initiative as a strategic tool to bridge risk and build access to global markets.

The Trade Finance Guarantee Programme is designed to mitigate the risk exposure of confirming banks by providing partial guarantees against defaults by issuing banks within CDB’s 19 Borrowing Member Countries.

This mechanism aims to strengthen correspondent banking relationships, unlock capital, and expand trade finance portfolios across the region.

The pilot phase of the programme will be launched in collaboration with JP Morgan and IDB Invest, covering 14 issuing and confirming banks across six Caribbean countries. CDB will also provide targeted capacity building to institutions with limited trade finance offerings, with the goal of establishing a long-term, self-sustaining platform for trade facilitation.