Export Credit Agencies

Protest of indigenous people against the oil pipeline in Sakhalin. It got financing from the Japanese export credit agency Japan Bank for International Cooperation. (photo: Sakhalin Environment Watch)

Introduction

Export credit agencies are public or private institutions that provide government-subsidised loans, guarantees and risk insurance to corporations that want to do business in countries where the investment climate is judged to be too risky for conventional corporate financing. For the global trade and investment market they are important players.

Export Credit Agencies - General Introduction and Regulation

November 4, 2008 - The business of many ECAs is governed at OECD level. The “OECD Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits” are the relevant guidelines for all OECD ECAs. Some of the ECAs of countries that are not part of the OECD are members of the Berne Union where some very soft guiding principles exist. more»

Export Credit Agencies from Emerging Economies

- November 4, 2008 - The role of emerging countries’ ECAs is rapidly increasing. The ECAs from Brazil, China, India and South Africa are becoming important players. Read about their structure, lending and if and what guidelines they have to follow. By Bob Thomson more»

Export Credit Agencies - Corruption and Transparency

- November 4, 2008 - At the OECD level, ECAs have to follow the “Action Statement on Bribery and Officially supported export credits”. Read more about its contents. ECAs in Europe can be approached on the base of the Aarhus Convention for environmental information. But as well in some of the emerging countries with important ECAs there are Freedom of Information-type provisions, which might be used to obtain information. Very few ECAs refer in their policies to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative that aims for improved transparency on government revenues from oil, gas and mining. more»

Export Credit Agencies - Human Rights and Resource Sectors

- November 4, 2008 - ECAs as institutions with a clear nexus to the state have special duties on human rights, even if they might deny this fact. Reflecting the national business, ECAs of different countries have different emphasis on sectors. The Canadian ECA for example plays an important role for the mining industry, others are important for the forest sector (even though rather through coverage for machinery) and some are active in the oil and gas sector. more»