FIMBank was created in 1994 as a niche trade finance Bank. FIMBank is a major international player in the trade finance industry. Listed in Malta, it has a global presence, serving customers in more than 50 countries across four continents. It operates through a wide network of offices, subsidiaries, associate companies and joint ventures, which are spread across the globe, including the UK, the US, Dubai, Egypt, Brazil, Singapore, India, Russia and other key hubs of international trade. FIMBank itself concentrates mainly on conventional and structured trade transactions whereas forfaiting is done through its wholly-owned subsidiary in the UK, LFC, and factoring is carried out by its various factoring affiliates and subsidiaries. The Group’s shareholders include a number of private Middle Eastern shareholders that have invested in the business since inception, and a large and growing retail shareholder base, in addition to IFC which became a strategic shareholder in 2005. The main shareholders in FIMBank are Massaleh Investments K.S.C.C with 44%, IFC 5.8%, Astrolabe General Trading & Contracting Company 5.7% and the balance is publicly traded.

As part of IFC’s Global Trade Liquidity Program, the funding to FIMBank will be for up to $60 million to channel liquidity to ultimately support trade finance in sub-Saharan Africa and MENA.

15.0 million (USD)

Product Line	IFC Investment (million USD)
Risk Management
Guarantee
Loan	15.0
Equity

* These investment figures are indicative

FIMBank is headquartered in Malta.

(i) Channeling liquidity for trade financing in the Africa, and MENA regions which is vital to the survival of SMEs in those regions, thereby preserving jobs at such SMEs and the FIs; (ii) strong demonstration effect by catalyzing other IFIs to support trade finance – a main artery to economic health and recovery, especially in emerging markets.

IFC’s global franchise in financial markets will be critical to the project’s success in leveraging trade volumes, expanding new markets and facilitating the growth of ‘south-south’ trades.

This project involves IFC support for the business of Trade Finance. This is a Category C project according to IFC’s Environmental & Social Review Procedure. Each trade pool will be supported by underlying documentation with the designated bank. The agreement with FIMBank will specify that the underlying goods to the transaction will meet the requirements of the IFC Exclusion List and require the Bank to report on implementation on an annual basis. IFC will review the details of the underlying trade transactions.