The Asian Development Bank has agreed a significant expansion of its trade finance programme, to generate up to $15bn in support through until 2013 to help counter an export slump that has been exacerbated by the lending difficulties of commercial banks.

The trade finance gap is to be discussed at Thursday’s G20 meeting in London. Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, has talked of hopes to secure a deal to provide $100bn (€76bn, £70bn) of trade finance.