2026-03-04T13:20:00-0500 / CBS新闻
随着全球石油供应担忧加剧，特朗普总统承诺，一个鲜为人知的美国政府机构将介入，为途经波斯湾的船只提供保险。他表示，在伊朗战争持续期间，此举将维持”能源的自由流动”。
特朗普政府已指定美国国际开发金融公司（DFC）承担这项任务，总统在Truth Social平台上指出，该机构将为”所有航运公司”提供政治风险保险。特朗普还表示，如果有必要，美国海军将护送油轮通过霍尔木兹海峡——这一全球石油运输的关键通道。
这一决定出台之际，其他全球保险公司因担忧船只可能在伊朗战争中成为附带损害，已纷纷退出海湾地区海事贸易活动的承保业务。近期，NorthStandard、伦敦保赔协会（London P&I Club）和美国俱乐部等保险公司均发布通知，称由于战争风险升级，将暂停对途经伊朗水域和波斯湾的船只的保险服务。
石油运输中断已导致油价上涨，并推高了加油站的成本。
以下是关于DFC及其保险承诺对美国纳税人意味着什么的关键信息：
美国国际开发金融公司（DFC）是什么？
DFC是2019年成立的政府机构，旨在支持全球投资项目。它取代了成立于1971年的美国政府前开发金融机构——海外私人投资公司（OPIC）。
该机构的任务是通过提供资金、保险和债务融资，将”私人资本引入发展中国家”，支持能源、医疗保健、关键基础设施和技术领域的项目。
其投资规模从793美元到超过20亿美元不等，支持的项目包括铁路升级、环境修复和国外液化天然气厂的开发。
全球发展中心（Center for Global Development）——一家专注于国际发展的非营利智库——副总裁兼高级政策研究员克莱门斯·兰德斯（Clemence Landers）表示，该机构历史上一直为资本稀缺的低收入国家提供资金支持。
DFC将提供什么？
将为途经海湾的船只承保保险的DFC在周二的声明中表示，将为商业航运租船人、船东和海事保险公司提供支持，以尽量减少市场中断。
该机构拒绝进一步置评。
周三，财政部长斯科特·贝森特（Scott Bessent）在接受CNBC采访时表示，DFC首席执行官本·布莱克（Ben Black）已”数月来”一直在制定应急计划。
“我们将在未来几天向船东和保险经纪人展开工作，”财政部长表示。
DFC表示，它”随时准备调动其政治风险保险和担保产品，以稳定国际商业，并支持在与伊朗政权冲突期间在中东开展业务的美国及盟友企业”。
目前尚不清楚这项保险是否仅适用于美国船队，还是会涵盖悬挂其他国家国旗的船只——这一点已引起部分议员的质疑。
“这显然看起来像是美国将补贴并保护运往中国的石油运输，”德克萨斯州众议员华金·卡斯特罗（Joaquin Castro）周二在X平台（原Twitter）上发文称。
白宫未回应对置评请求的回复。
什么是政治风险保险？
DFC网站将政治风险保险列为其主要业务之一，指出该保险可保障因国家和国际部队发动战争及敌对行动而造成的资产和收入损失。
兰德斯告诉CBS新闻，不过，DFC此次使用政治风险保险代表了其与过去支持项目类型的”重大背离”——DFC过去的项目主要聚焦于穷国的经济增长。
她表示，DFC对政治风险保险的主要使用是所谓的”债务换自然”（debt-for-nature swap）交易，即DFC为一个国家的外债提供支持，以换取该国承诺开展自然保护项目。
成本是多少，谁来支付？
DFC拒绝对为中东航行船只承保的保险费用置评。周二，特朗普总统在Truth Social平台发文称，DFC将以”合理价格”提供保险，但未给出具体价格。
兰德斯表示，考虑到风险之高，她认为这可能会耗尽该机构的风险敞口——截至2025年12月，其风险敞口为2050亿美元。
如果发生赔付，兰德斯称美国纳税人可能需要承担数亿甚至数十亿美元的费用。
“基本上，这是公共部门为可能向私人投资者支付的巨额赔付提供补贴，”她告诉CBS新闻。
What to know about the agency Trump says will insure ships in the Persian Gulf
2026-03-04T13:20:00-0500 / CBS News
As concerns over the global oil supply intensify, President Trump has pledged that a little-known U.S. government agency will step in to insure ships sailing through the Persian Gulf, a move he said will maintain the “free flow of energy” as the Iran war continues.
The Trump administration has tapped the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, or DFC, for the job, with the president noting on Truth Social that the agency will provide political risk insurance to “all shipping lines.” Mr. Trump also said the U.S. Navy would escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil shipments, if necessary.
The decision comes as other global insurers have backed away from underwriting maritime trade activity in the Gulf amid concerns that vessels could become collateral damage in the Iran war. Insurers such as NorthStandard, the London P&I Club, and the American Club have issued notices in recent days that they are suspending insurance for ships traveling through Iranian waters and the Gulf due to escalating risks from the war.
Disruptions to oil shipments are already driving up oil prices and pushing up costs at the gas pump.
Here’s what to know about the DFC and what the agency’s insurance promises could mean for American taxpayers.
What is the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation?
The DFC is a government agency established in 2019 to back global investment projects. It replaced the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the U.S. government’s former development finance institution, which was established in 1971.
The agency is tasked with bringing “private capital to the developing world” by providing funding, insurance and debt financing to support projects across the energy, health care, critical infrastructure and technology sectors.
Its investments have ranged from as little as $793 to more than $2 billion, supporting projects such as railway upgrades, environmental restoration and the development of liquefied natural gas plants abroad.
The agency historically has provided funding to low-income countries where capital is scarce, according to Clemence Landers, vice president and senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, a nonprofit think tank focused on international development.
What is the DFC providing?
The DFC, which will underwrite policies for ships traveling through the Gulf, said in a Tuesday statement that it will provide support to commercial shipping charterers, shipowners and maritime insurance companies to minimize market disruptions.
The agency declined further comment.
Speaking to CNBC on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Ben Black, the CEO of the DFC, has been preparing a contingency plan for “months.”
“We will be moving out to the ship owners, to the insurance brokers, over the coming days,” the Treasury secretary said.
DFC said it is “ready to mobilize its political risk insurance and guaranty products to stabilize international commerce and support American and allied businesses operating in the Middle East during this period of conflict with the Iranian regime.”
It’s unclear whether the insurance will extend solely to the U.S. fleet or include ships flying under other countries’ flags, a question raised by some lawmakers.
“This certainly looks like the United States will be subsidizing and protecting oil shipments to China,” Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro said in an X post on Tuesday.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
What is political risk insurance?
The DFC’s website lists political risk insurance as one of its main offerings, noting that the coverage can protect against asset and income losses incurred by war and hostile actions carried out by national and international forces.
In this case, however, the DFC’s use of political risk insurance represents a “profound departure” from the types of projects the agency has backed in the past, which are focused on economic growth in poor countries, Landers told CBS News.
She said DFC’s primary use of political risk insurance has been for what’s known as a “debt-for-nature swap,” in which the DFC backs a country’s external debt in exchange for commitments to carry out nature conservation projects.
How much will it cost, and who pays?
The DFC declined to comment on how much it will cost to underwrite policies for ships sailing in the Middle East. In his Truth Social post on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said the DFC will provide the insurance at a “reasonable price,” without offering a specific price point.
Landers said, given how high the risks are, she could see this eating up the agency’s risk exposure, which was $205 billion as of December 2025.
If there is a payout, Landers said American taxpayers could also be on the hook for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars.
“Basically, this is the public sector subsidizing potentially a massive payout to private investors,” she told CBS News.