Export and Agency Finance

Export credit agencies, commonly known as ECAs, are public government-owned agencies and entities that provide government-backed loans, guarantees and insurance to corporates from their home country that seek to do business overseas in developing countries and emerging markets.

​

ECAs aim to help promote the exports of their home country by allowing exporters to provide buyer’s credit to importers and by insuring transactions that take place in risky markets.

​

An ECA’s role is usually limited to guaranteeing transactions, and it is not uncommon to have several ECAs guaranteeing different parts of a deal involving exporters from various countries (particularly in big-ticket project financing). However, more and more ECAs are providing direct loans.

 

Export finance refers to credit facilities and techniques of payment at the pre-shipment or post-shipment stages.