A new partnership between DP World Trade Finance and J.P. Morgan is targeting a major obstacle in global trade—access to working capital in underserved regions. The collaboration addresses credit limitations in emerging markets, where traditional lenders often pull back due to perceived risk.
With a staggering US$2.5 trillion gap in global trade finance, small to mid-sized businesses in developing economies continue to struggle to access affordable funding. This shortfall has long hampered trade growth, especially in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia, where supply chains are vulnerable, and financial infrastructure remains limited.
The first deal in this strategic tie-up involved a major food company sourcing cocoa from Ivory Coast, a key player in global agricultural exports. By facilitating this trade through risk-sharing mechanisms, the partnership enabled more than US$70 million in yearly procurement from the region—an amount that not only supports the buyer but also injects critical liquidity into local economies.
According to Raj Jit Singh Wallia, Board Member at DP World Trade Finance, combining logistics with trade finance in a single ecosystem reduces the credit risk while increasing financial flow to places that need it most. “This is a significant step in our mission to bridge the global trade finance gap and help businesses tap into new sources of funding,” he said.
For J.P. Morgan, the deal reflects a broader strategy of engaging with emerging markets through innovative finance models. “Our collaboration with DP World Trade Finance allows us to offer financing solutions that provide working capital to businesses while mitigating risk,” said James Fraser, Global Head of Trade & Working Capital at J.P. Morgan. He added that the firms are exploring similar structures in other underserved markets to support trade flows.
Rather than trying to do everything alone, this partnership shows how leveraging complementary strengths—J.P. Morgan’s financial muscle and DP World’s logistics network—can lower barriers that keep emerging market players on the sidelines of global commerce.
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