This paper assesses the issues of government involvement in international trade finance stemming from the recent changes in global financial markets. This study is based on discussions with representatives of export credit agencies during the period from October 2003 to May 2004. A survey of 27 agencies provided valuable insights. Financial flows facilitated by official export credit agencies are large in comparison with official development assistance and gross lending by international financial institutions to developing countries. However, the importance of officially supported trade finance has been declining relative to the rapid expansion of world trade and total capital flows to developing countries. The study highlights the key challenges facing official export credit agencies, including complementing the private sector, facilitating financing to low-income countries while helping maintain these countries’ debt sustainability, and playing a positive role in the area of trade finance in international efforts to address emerging market financial crises.

Provides a state-of-the-art overview of international trade policy research The Handbook of Global Trade Policy offers readers a comprehensive resource for the study of international trade policy, governance, and financing. This timely and authoritative work presents contributions from a team of prominent experts that assess the policy implications of recent academic research on the subject. Discussions of contemporary research in fields such as economics, international business, international relations, law, and global politics help readers develop an expansive, interdisciplinary knowledge of 21st century foreign trade. Accessible for students, yet relevant for practitioners and researchers, this book expertly guides readers through essential literature in the field while highlighting new connections between social science research and global policy-making. Authoritative chapters address new realities of the global trade environment, global governance and international institutions, multilateral trade agreements, regional trade in developing countries, value chains in the Pacific Rim, and more. Designed to provide a well-rounded survey of the subject, this book covers financing trade such as export credit arrangements in developing economies, export insurance markets, climate finance, and recent initiatives of the World Trade Organization (WTO). This state-of-the-art overview: Integrates new data and up-to-date research in the field Offers an interdisciplinary approach to examining global trade policy Introduces fundamental concepts of global trade in an understandable style Combines contemporary economic, legal, financial, and policy topics Presents a wide range of perspectives on current issues surrounding trade practices and policies The Handbook of Global Trade Policy is a valuable resource for students, professionals, academics, researchers, and policy-makers in all areas of international trade, economics, business, and finance.

This study discusses the importance of export credits, their recent growth, and the trend toward more extensive reliance by official bilateral creditors on export credits as an instrument of financial support, and raises a number of issues regarding the role and limitations of export credit financing, espeically for economies in transition.

First published in 1999. This study starts with the reasons underlying that apparent bias of loan agreements to which developing country borrowers were parties and then develops to look at the issue of the potential benefits of having documentation evidencing developing country indebtedness provide for contractual relief for borrowers in case of adverse changes in circumstances.

On the 50th anniversary of the OECD, this book examines the unique work the organisation performs in regulating and rationalising governments' use of export credits in support of exports, jobs, economic growth and national interests more broadly.

This conference proceedings examines how trade liberalisation and rich-country farming practices affect the world's poor.

This study focuses on export promotion schemes that developing countries may use without violating international trade rules. It examines the rules themselves ndash; the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures for industrial goods and the Agreement on Agriculture for agricultural products ndash; and looks at schemes currently in place in the developing world.

This paper presents report on a number of countries in Asia that have made substantial use of agency credits, including the quasi-concessional financing available through mixed credit s. Through their willingness to grant comprehensive relief on a case-by-case basis, official creditors have responded flexibly to the needs of individual countries. The ability of export credit agencies to also provide substantial new financing to rescheduling countries has depended on the strategy of debt subordination achieved through fixing cutoff dates. As to the role of export credits at present, when the debt strategy’s continuing emphasis on new money flows is being supplemented by debt reduction, the debt subordination strategy followed by export credit agencies has left them well positioned to provide necessary new financing for middle-income countries pursuing strong adjustment. In heavily indebted low income countries, whose needs for project finance should most appropriately be met by concessional finance, export credit agencies continue to play an important role in supporting essential short-term credits.

In this collection of essays, participants involved with the Arrangement from its earliest days chart its evolution – its inception and progressive expansion, the difficulties encountered and problems solved.

This book explains various methods of payment in international trade and trade finance schemes for international trade. It also presents an overview of the concepts, purposes, features, and risks of international trade. A grasp of the features and risks of international trade facilitates a better understanding of the numerous methods of payment in international trade and the relevant trade finance schemes, which is essential to success in international trade transactions. In order to complete an international trade transaction, depending on the terms, both parties need access to funds. Compared with large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), frequently face difficulties in raising capital or funds, but financing an international trade transaction is often the key to its successful completion. As such, selecting an appropriate financing mechanism from the various options available is vital. This book offers a systematic overview of international trade and payment together with trade finance, providing instructive examples and illustrations of trade documents, each method of payment, and trade finance including export credit insurance or guarantee.