(Trade World News, Dubai, 12 December 2024) Algeria is positioning itself as a major force in trade insurance across Africa and the Arab-Muslim world, reflecting its commitment to fostering fair and dynamic international trade. Algeria’s ambitions align with its broader strategy to diversify exports beyond hydrocarbons. The Finance Minister underscored that Algeria views fair international trade as a strategic pillar for economic growth and an essential mechanism for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Meanwhile, a December 11-12 French summit conference on the future of economic relations between France and Arabic countries was jointly organized by the Arab-French Chamber of Commerce, the Union of Arab Chambers and the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME), with the support of CCI France, the International Chamber of Commerce – France, Medef International, and Business France.
(Business Times, Colombo, 15 December 2024) The new management of the Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC), while celebrating its 46th anniversary, has an onerous task ahead of reforming an institution that has been marred by corruption and malpractice for the past 12 years. A forensic audit, initiated at the instance of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) in the previous Parliament is afoot to investigate the alleged financial mismanagement of the state-run corporation. An investigation is underway into the controversial payment of an insurance claim of over Rs. 400 million to a single exporter, which had been made in a manner contrary to standard procedures. The Treasury has conducted two additional inquiries, clearing some officers accused of assisting the General Manager in carrying out corrupt practices. However, COPE intervened, ensuring the General Manager’s compulsory leave and the forensic audit.
(UNEP, Dubai, 4 December 2023) At COP28 today, 8 leading export credit agencies, in partnership with the University of Oxford, Future of Climate Cooperation, and the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) launched the UN-convened Net-Zero Export Credit Agencies Alliance (NZECA), the first net-zero alliance comprising public finance institutions globally. In working to deliver net-zero economies by 2050, the NZECA will help decarbonise global trade and facilitate joint action from public and private finance. Combined, these ECAs supported an estimated US$120 billion in global trade in 2022 alone, providing finance and other services such as insurance and guarantees to facilitate local companies’ international exports. The export credit industry is hugely influential globally, with up to $28 trillion – comprising 80 to 90 per cent – of international trade relying on export financing, much of it provided by governments via export credit agencies and export-import banks. But NGOs note that a study by Net Zero Tracker found the bulk of “net zero” commitments from fossil fuel companies were meaningless as they either included no short-term emissions reduction plans, or did not fully cover scope 3 emissions (that is, the pollution released when a company’s products are used). Net Zero hopes/assumes that in the future technology will come along that can suck the carbon out of the atmosphere so that they can just keep going as it is until then.
(Oil Change International, Washington, 2 December 2023) Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced today that Norway has joined the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP, sometimes called the Glasgow Statement) at the UN COP28 climate summit in Dubai. Boost for CETP which now boasts 40 signatories (including US, Canada, and many EU countries), shifting billions per year out of fossil fuels to clean energy. Norway – as a major oil & gas producing nation – boosts the initiative by joining, building momentum at the OECD level to create new rules to end international fossil finance across the OECD. This move from Norway bolsters an international campaign to adopt new rules at the OECD (the group of the world’s wealthiest countries) to end export finance support for fossil fuels. OECD countries supported fossil fuel exports by an average of USD 41 billion from 2018 to 2020, almost five times more than clean energy exports. The EU, Canada, and UK have tabled a proposal to end this finance. Having signed onto the CETP, Norway is now expected to deliver on the CETP’s commitment to “driving multilateral commitments in international bodies” by aligning with the UK, EU, and Canada in the push for oil and gas restrictions at the OECD.
(Oil Change International, Washington, 28 November 2023) Representatives of Friends of the Earth Japan & Oil Change International traveled to Texas & Louisiana in early November for a week-long tour, organized by Texas Campaign for the Environment, to witness & learn about the impacts of LNG development on local communities. The Japanese government is the largest global financier of LNG export terminals, providing 50% of international public finance, or $39.7 billion, for LNG export capacity built from 2012-2022, as well as projects under construction or expected to be built by 2026. In the Gulf South, Japan’s export credit agencies, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, provided $3.7 billion in financing for the Freeport LNG terminal & $4.5 billion for Cameron LNG in 2014. The Japanese & Korean governments are also rolling out plans to develop new ammonia & hydrogen production & export facilities globally including in Lake Charles & Corpus Christi. These projects would worsen the climate crisis & subject communities to further exploitation & harm. The proliferation of LNG projects & petrochemical facilities, coupled with regulatory failure to enforce environmental standards, have allowed the fossil fuel industry to severely pollute the air & water without consequence. Residents of Port Arthur & other communities on the Gulf Coast suffer from high rates of cancer, respiratory infections & migraines. Water security is also an issue. Industrial water use is prioritized over the needs of local residents. Despite the serious health and safety concerns with the Freeport LNG terminal, Japan’s export credit insurance agency NEXI is planning to support the expansion of the Cameron LNG terminal located on Calcasieu Lake in Louisiana.
(New Republic, New York, 28 December 2023) President Joe Biden pledged to stop financing such projects overseas, and yet the U.S. Export-Import Bank continues to do so. While much of the country was occupied last week with holiday travel and time with family, a little-known government agency approved a $90 million guarantee for ING Capital to finance a liquified natural gas export facility in Texas. All told this year, that agency—the U.S. Export-Import Bank—has approved nearly $1 billion in fossil fuel lending, including $100 million for expanding an oil refinery in Indonesia and $400 million of insurance for revolving credit facilities to help commodity trading giant Trafigura purchase LNG. Not long after taking office, in January 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order which tasked the bank and other federal agencies with identifying “steps through which the United States can promote ending international financing of carbon-intensive fossil fuel–based energy.”
(Economy Middle East, UAE) Saudi Arabia’s National Debt Management Center (NDMC) has concluded a financing arrangement worth €1 billion with the Italian insurance-financial group SACE. The deal is part of a broader initiative to strengthen trade and investment relations between Saudi Arabia and Italy. The kingdom is seeking to benefit from all available financing resources for government projects as part of its Vision 2030 strategy. Notably, the financing was made through several international banks and aims to finance Saudi Vision 2030’s development and infrastructure projects. Moreover, it is Saudi Arabia’s third financing of its kind following other financing from financial institutions through other export credit agencies.
(Pakistan Today, Islamabad, 21 December 2023) Caretaker Minister for Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs, Dr Shamshad Akhtar, formally inaugurated Pakistan’s Export-Import Bank (EXIM) on Thursday. The move is aimed at strengthening external trade, attracting investments, and fostering broader economic growth in the country. The Caretaker Minister for Finance stated that institutions like EXIM have a global impact, noting that they disbursed a substantial $2.5 trillion in trade finance last year, benefiting exports across more than 60 countries. She stated that as EXIM Pakistan grows, it will play a crucial role in promoting trade finance through a well-structured institutional framework and effective policies. The finance minister stressed the need for streamlining export policy frameworks to contribute to the sustainability of the balance of payments, addressing historical challenges related to low levels of export earnings.
(Zawya, London, 1 December 2023) Italian export credit agency SACE unveiled a new ESG [environmental, social, and governance] strategy at COP 28, which will progressively align its business model with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new strategy, unveiled at an offsite event during the COP28 summit in Dubai on Thursday, will integrate ESG criteria into decision-making processes and is underpinned by a scientific impact measurement system, the Agency said in a press statement. The Italian ECA is working on a €8.7 billion pipeline in the Gulf region for the Italian supply chain in strategic sectors such as renewables, infrastructure and construction, logistics, food and beverage, and energy. The Agency is also working on a €2 billion pipeline for Green Push transactions in the region.
