Trade credit insurance is "the safety valve for business in an uncertain world". Daniel de Burca, Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at ICISA, has published an article on the role of trade credit insurance amid ongoing late payment and insolvency pressures shaping trading conditions. Citing Shopify’s analysis (2018–2023), which shows that 20% of US businesses fail in their first year and 50% by year five, he notes that post-pandemic insolvencies have risen steadily, with Allianz Trade expecting the uptrend to persist through 2026. Furthermore, payment behaviour is weakening: Atradius (July 2025) reports that late payments affect 44% of B2B credit sales in Asia and that bad debts are rising by 5%. However, business flexibility is vital — being able to extend terms to good business partners, for example — and finding ways to secure that flexibility; trade credit insurance provides a tool that preserves and even enhances it. To read ICISA's article, go to https://icisa.org/news/trade-credit-the-safety-valve-for-business-in-an-uncertain-world/.

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BPL offers new capital management strategies for banks, investors and insurers. BPL has launched a Funded Solutions team, offering new insurance-related capital and credit management strategies (including repackagings or "repacks"). The team will target the product at the existing customers of the credit insurance market and also new market entrants from bank, insurer, asset manager and investor sectors. As such, BPL's Funded Solutions team will continue to serve banking clients and the team will concurrently expand the offering to a relatively untapped credit insurance client base: institutional investors. The strategy will allow these investors to start harnessing the CPRI product in a similar fashion to banks, providing them with investment-grade assets generating comparatively enhanced returns.  Harriet Rowland-Clark, Director at BPL, said: "Having spent the last eight years as a buyer of credit insurance, it is great to be back in the insurance market brokering these innovative structures." To read BPL news release, go to https://bpl-insurance.com/insight/bpl-unveils-funded-solutions-team/.

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New Credendo partnership introduces a short-term credit insurance solution tailored for the Chinese market. Credendo has announced that it has expanded its global fronting network, enabling local policy issuance in China through a partnership with Zking Property & Casualty Insurance. The new partnership introduces a short-term credit insurance solution tailored for the dynamic Chinese market and opens up significant opportunities, including for multinational clients with Chinese entities. The fronting agreement allows Credendo – Trade Credit Insurance to manage all policy aspects while its local partner, Zking, issues the actual policy due to licensing restrictions. “Credendo sees China as a major opportunity as it looks to establish further fronting agreements across Asia and elsewhere”, noted Jean-Paul Steenbeke, Deputy General Manager of Credendo – Trade Credit Insurance. To read Credendo's news release, go to https://credendo.com/en/knowledge-hub/new-fronting-agreement-opens-dynamic-chinese-market.

Allianz Trade extends its geographical footprint to Vietnam. Allianz Trade in Asia Pacific has announced the opening of its first office in Vietnam. Headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, the new office will provide comprehensive trade credit solutions to local exporters. Allianz Trade notes that Vietnam has been a remarkable performer among emerging economies, registering an average growth of around 7% in the three decades leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic, and around 4.7% on average over 2020-2022. Rodrigo Jimenez, Regional CEO at Allianz Trade in Asia Pacific, says, "We are extremely excited to extend our footprint to Vietnam, the thirteenth location in our portfolio. Apart from increasing our investments in India in 2023, Vietnam has long been on our list for expansion." To read Allianz Trade's news release, go to https://www.allianz-trade.com/en_global/news-insights/news/new-office-in-vietnam.html.       

Continued high levels of late payments and bad debt highlight the need for proactive payment risk strategies. Silvia Ungaro, Senior Advisor at Atradius, has published an article that examines lessons from a year of B2B payment disruption. She notes that, while some regions have seen a slight decline in overdue invoices, progress remains modest. In Western Europe, for instance, 47% of B2B invoices are still paid late, and bad debts affect an average of 6% of B2B invoices. The situation is even more severe in markets like India, where overdue invoices affect 63% of B2B sales and bad debts have risen to 7%. Across the board, the most common reason for late payments remains customer cash flow pressure. Furthermore, the risk of customer insolvency is rising. Nearly half of the companies in Western Europe expect insolvencies to increase in the months ahead. To read Atradius' article, go to https://group.atradius.com/knowledge-and-research/news/what-did-a-year-of-b2b-payment-disruption-teach-us.

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Podcast: Credit insurance and the future of energy. In a conversation with Trade Finance Global's Deputy Editor, Mahika Ravi Shankar, Madeleine Whiteley, Senior Client Manager at Aon, explored how credit insurance is helping energy clients navigate volatility, adapt to the transition to renewables, and manage the uncertainties that define today's market. Citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent wholesale gas prices to record highs across the European Union (EU) and the UK, underscoring how suddenly and severely energy markets can turn, she notes that clients with trade credit insurance could ride out the issues, knowing that at least a portion of their exposure was secured. "Those that didn’t had a much hairier time.”  As such, credit insurance is becoming a “go-to tool” in this environment, giving companies a way to safeguard deals that could be disrupted by sudden political decisions affecting energy suppliers. To listen to the podcast, go to https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/podcast-you-cant-predict-the-weather-but-you-can-insure-for-it-credit-insurance-and-the-future-of-energy/.

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Electronic signatures in trade credit insurance: legal and practical realities. ICISA has published an overview of the global e-signature landscape for trade credit insurance and surety. It notes e-signatures are increasingly important—speeding policy, bond and reinsurance execution, cutting admin costs, enabling remote work, and supporting sustainability. However, legal frameworks, adoption and interpretation vary widely by jurisdiction. Some markets—and larger transactions—require higher-assurance signatures, adding cost and complexity, and compatibility gaps persist between signing platforms and certificate providers. These regional differences directly influence how trade credit insurance and surety markets can leverage e-signatures in practice. ICISA argues that meaningful progress now hinges on four things: greater harmonisation and mutual recognition across borders; more explicit guidance and education for market participants; and secure, interoperable systems that work reliably at scale. To read ICISA's article, go to https://icisa.org/news/electronic-signatures-in-trade-credit-insurance-and-surety-legal-and-practical-realities/.

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BPL launches BPL Impact with £1.2 million three-year commitment to charities and communities. BPL has launched BPL Impact, a strategic programme to scale the firm's commitment to charitable giving and community engagement. As part of the initiative, BPL has pledged a minimum of £1.2 million over the next three years to support causes closely connected to its people and purpose. The strategy launches with a core group of headline charity partners. These include the East End Community Foundation, which funds frontline organisations working to tackle inequality across Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham; Insulate Ukraine, a charity delivering cost effective and shatterproof insulated windows for homes damaged in the conflict; and WeSeeHope, which partners with community-based organisations across Southern and Eastern Africa to equip vulnerable children and families with skills to build sustainable futures. To read BPL's news release, go to https://bpl-insurance.com/insight/bpl-launches-bpl-impact-with-1-2-million-three-year-commitment-to-charities-and-communities/.

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Congratulations:

GTR Leaders in Trade: Nominees and winners. The GTR Leaders in Trade awards highlight excellence in
the trade, commodity, supply chain and export finance markets, recognising pioneering institutions and top
performers from around the world. This year, the nominees and winners include:

• Best export credit agency: Shortlisted nominees: Etihad Credit Insurance, Kuke. Winner: Kuke

• Best trade credit insurance broker: Shortlisted nominees: Aon, BPL, WTW. Winner: Aon

• Best political risk insurance broker: Shortlisted nominees: Aon, BPL, Marsh, WTW. Winner: Marsh

• Best trade and political risk insurance underwriter Winner: Allianz Trade

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Credit Insurance Community Fundraising

Jane Hull, Director Underwriting and Operations, Trade Credit, at Tokio Marine HCC, is raising money for Guide Dogs by running the London Marathon. In September 2024, Jane was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a non-cancerous brain tumour, which has made walking hard and resulted in total loss of hearing in one ear, tinnitus, double vision and eye stability issues, giving Jane an insight into the challenges faced by the visually impaired. Training for the marathon is both a key part of Jane's recovery and a chance to support a life-changing cause. If you're able to help, please sponsor Jane here: https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/jane-hull. Thank you for backing her effort and the remarkable work of Guide Dogs.