ECG report 357
Relief package in practice: Simplified review procedure for APG small limits
From November 1, 2024, there will be a simplified review procedure for small limits under the Whole Turnover Policy Guarantee (APG). This implements another key component of the relief package adopted by the Federal Government in April 2024.
The simplified review procedure applies to APG limit applications up to EUR 50,000. The payment terms for these transactions must not exceed a maturity of 180 days. In this simplified process, the APG holder provides specific information about the foreign buyer, including the exporter’s own payment experience and credit assessments from rating agencies.
This new procedure for small APG limits makes the provision of export credit guarantees simpler, faster and more efficient. Exporters can issue offers to their foreign customers at short notice, strengthening their international competitiveness. The new regulation is available to all APG holders with sound receivables and claims management systems.
Indemnification claim online: New procedure simplifies and accelerates claims handling
The digitalisation of export credit guarantees continues apace. After cover applications successfully entered the digital era some time ago, another major step has now been taken.
From now on, banks can submit indemnification claims for federally guaranteed buyer credits online. A corresponding online form is available to credit institutions in the customer portal myAGA.
Thanks to built-in plausibility checks and an integrated checklist, the digital procedure helps to avoid data-transmission errors and ensures that all necessary documents are submitted. This prevents follow-up queries and duplication of effort — making the entire process simpler and faster.
OECD country classification
At its 100th meeting, the OECD’s country risk experts reviewed and updated the classifications for selected countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and West and Central Africa.
The seven-tier OECD classification system (1 = lowest risk, 7 = highest risk) has been in place since 1999 and serves as a key benchmark for premium assessment under officially supported export credits.
Compared with the previous review, the following adjustments were adopted:
| Country | New category | Previous category |
| Aruba | 4 | 5 |
| Cabo Verde | 5 | 6 |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 4 |
| Jamaica | 5 | 6 |
| Paraguay | 4 | 5 |
Export financing in Asia: The new normal of ECA-covered financing - flexibility and local presence as decisive success factors
At the end of September, Thomas Baum, Head of Division Underwriting & Risk Management at Euler Hermes, Quynh Le Le, Senior Underwriter Asia at Euler Hermes and Alexandra Lutz, financing expert for the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Singapore), took part in the Export Financing Conference in Ho Chi Minh City. The event was jointly organised by Euler Hermes, Atradius (Netherlands) and SERV (Switzerland).
Following this, the delegation attended the TXF Asia Financing Conference in Singapore.
They shared their insights from discussions with importers, exporters, banks and other ECAs.
What key impressions did you take away from Southeast Asia?
Quynh Le Le: Southeast Asia remains a dynamic growth region characterised by strong investment activity and substantial market potential – particularly in Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Across these markets, the number of energy sector projects has increased significantly. Consequently, discussions with customers centred around renewable energy, green hydrogen and the sustainable power supply of industrial zones and manufacturing sites.
Competition from suppliers in Korea, Japan and China remains intense, placing pressure on German exporters. Under these conditions, flexible financing instruments are key to maintaining and expanding market access in this strategically important region.
How is the German ECA perceived in Southeast Asia?
Alexandra Lutz: Exporters, importers and financial institutions particularly value the advisory quality and accessibility provided through our regional presence. Our meetings in Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore demonstrated that close proximity to clients and partners serves as a strong facilitator for new business.
In addition, the Climate Strategy for Export Credit Guarantees, which offers tangible incentives and facilitation for sustainable and climate-related projects, has been received very positively by investors and project developers across the region.
In Southeast Asia, innovation and climate transformation have become central drivers of investment, as reflected in the growing number of transformational projects.
What can we learn from other ECAs doing business in Asia and with Asian clients?
Thomas Baum: The banking markets in this region are highly liquid and well developed, offering a broad range of competitive alternatives to ECA-covered financing.
Against this backdrop, Asian ECAs have broadened their product portfolios and are increasingly active in the market with flexible, untied financing instruments. A number of European ECAs are now following this trend.
We have likewise set ourselves the objective of expanding our range of intelligent and user-friendly ECA-covered financing solutions and of further enhancing our local advisory capacity. Considerable progress has already been made in this respect.
In addition to our established financing specialists, we have, this year, established an international Business Development Team for Sustainable Projects. This team provides early-stage support to exporters, banks and foreign clients during project structuring and offers guidance on ECA-backed financing opportunities.
Ultimately, innovative ECA-covered financing and local market expertise are two sides of the same coin – together, they enable us to deliver the best possible support to German exporters in Asia’s dynamic growth markets.
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