Amid signs that the collapse in world trade flows sparked by last year’s finance crisis is easing, JPMorgan and Commerzbank have pledged a total of $2.25bn in funding to a trade finance programme sponsored by the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank.

The two banks join Citigroup, which committed $1.25bn to the Global Trade Liquidity Programme in June. Under terms of the programme, JPMorgan will support $1bn and Commerzbank $1.25bn of trade flows, with some 40 per cent of those being sold to a consortium of investors, including the IFC.