UK's Brown urges G20 to back $100 billion more trade credit

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks to an audience during a discussion regarding multilateralism and global issues at New York University March 25, 2009.

BRASILIA (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Thursday he would urge the G20 powers to back a $100 billion expansion of trade finance to reverse a slide in world trade.

"I'm going to ask the G20 summit next week to support a global expansion of trade finance of at least $100 billion to help revive trade in all parts of the world," he told a news conference after meeting Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Leading industrial and developing nations, including Brazil, will attend the G20 summit that Brown hosts in London on April 2.

A shortage of trade credit, which allows exporters and importers to settle accounts, has been a factor in a sharp drop in global trade which is exacerbating the economic downturn.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft)