The conditions for granting state export financing and export risk insurance are determined by the OECD Export Credits Arrangement and through agreements of the OECD Export Credit Group.
OECD Export Credits Arrangement
Since 1978, the state policies of export credit institutions and export risk insurance have been coordinated in accordance with the OECD Export Credits Arrangement. The participants in the Arrangement are Australia, the European Union, Japan, Canada, The Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United States.
The objective of the Export Credits Arrangement is to avoid distortion of competition by providing state support for export credits and export risk insurance. According to specifically established uniform rules and regulations, state institutions may provide funding and insurance for exports. The key areas governed by the Arrangement include minimum down payment and maximum repayment terms for credits, minimum interest rates for credits, minimum fees for guarantees and provisions for permissible tied aid loans.
OECD Export Credit Group
The Export Credit Group, which almost all OECD countries belong to, drafts agreements on the relationships between state supported export credits and issues such as the environment, corruption and heavily indebted poor developing countries. The agreements regulate the uniform consideration of these issues when granting state export credits and export credit insurance.
The relevant agreements under the Export Credits Arrangement and the Export Credit Group can be viewed on the OECD website.
SECO, together with the Swiss Export Risk Insurance Agency SERV, represents the interests of Switzerland at the OECD.
