Berne Union report warns of dwindling risk appetite over Ukraine related claims

(Global Trade Review, London, 31 August 2022) Rising geopolitical risk is driving up demand for export credit insurance, says a new Berne Union study, which warns that the market is bracing for a wave of Ukraine-related claims. According to the association’s latest ‘Business Confidence Index’ report, providers of short, as well as medium and long-term credit and political risk insurance, have seen “strong” levels of demand this year. The quarterly analysis, based on a survey of the Berne Union’s more than 80 members – including export credit agencies, private credit insurers and multilateral financial institutions – reveals that requests for short-term cover have been especially robust. “Payment delays directly caused by the war are materialising for some insurers and there is a general expectation that liquidity constraints and higher interest rates will lead to increasing insolvencies in the third quarter,” the report says. In a world where roughly 15% of trade is protected by insurance, eyes are often on the trade credit insurance stage.