OPEC Fund launches $1.5bn programme to ease trade disruption

The OPEC Fund has launched a $1.5bn financing initiative to support countries facing rising energy costs, commodity disruption and tighter trade conditions.

The Economic Stability, Trade and Resilience Initiative, known as E-Star, will run from 2026 to 2028 across the fund’s partner countries. It has been designed to respond to pressures created by the Middle East conflict, which have disrupted trade flows and increased financing strain for developing economies.

Trade finance is one of the programme’s three priority areas. Funding will be used to provide working capital support and help maintain access to critical goods, including energy, food and agricultural inputs. The initiative will also support governments facing higher import costs and invest in energy, transport and logistics infrastructure.

For developing markets, this type of support can be important when external shocks hit quickly. Higher import bills can drain reserves, weaken trade balances and reduce the ability of businesses to access finance.

The programme also shows how development finance institutions are moving faster to protect trade flows during periods of volatility. Rather than simply funding long-term projects, they are increasingly being used to stabilise liquidity and keep essential supply chains functioning.