The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is providing a trade finance limit of up to $75 million (€65 million) to Al Mansour Bank for Investment (MBI), one of Iraq’s leading private-sector banks.
Under the EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme, the facility offers guarantees and cash advances covering political and commercial payment risks on cross-border transactions. That backing helps MBI support import and export deals for Iraqi businesses.
The impact extends past individual transactions. MBI’s correspondent banking network stands to grow, and trade finance should become more accessible across a country where international banking services remain limited. Iraqi importers and exporters gain better routes into global markets, with particular emphasis on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Agriculture, construction, manufacturing and consumer goods sectors all fall within scope.
Technical assistance funded by the EBRD rounds out the package: advisory support, specialised training, access to the Bank’s Trade Finance e-Learning Programme, and workshops covering compliance, fraud prevention and risk management.
MBI handles retail and corporate banking alongside trade finance and treasury services. Founded in 2006, the bank operates eight branches across Iraq and is majority owned by Qatar National Bank Group.
EBRD entered Iraq in September 2025, with a mandate centred on private-sector development, broader access to finance, and support for entrepreneurship and long-term growth.
Digital Trade Outlook
This facility points to growing interest in correspondent banking and trade tech investment within Iraq’s underbanked market. MBI’s training package, spanning e-learning and compliance, sets the stage for digitising trade documentation and risk screening down the line. As MSMEs gain broader access to cross-border financing, demand for digital trade platforms in Iraq should follow.