​​Coface and the LSEG Risk Intelligence join forces to strengthen corporate compliance and decision-making. Coface has partnered with LSEG Risk Intelligence to integrate World-Check One into its business information platform, Urba360, allowing companies to combine compliance screening with Coface's credit risk data through a single interface. World-Check One monitors exposure to international sanctions, politically exposed persons, adverse media and enforcement actions. Coface said it selected LSEG for its global coverage and recognised risk and compliance expertise. Teodora Christova, Global Partner Director at LSEG Risk Intelligence, said the integration enables organisations to pair compliance screening with credit insights to support due diligence and faster decisions. To read Coface's news release, go to https://www.coface.ae/news-economic-insights/coface-and-the-lseg-risk-intelligence-join-forces-to-strengthen-corporate-compliance-and-decision-making.

​

Agentic AI in trade credit insurance: Tinubu has published a blog describing how agentic AI could make trade credit insurance (and other specialty lines) faster and more consistent by removing repetitive work from underwriters and operations teams. Rather than acting as a single smart generalist tool, Tinubu explains that agentic AI uses multiple specialist AI agents that can pull relevant data, apply underwriting rules, analyse exposures and generate clear summaries. The agents can also "reason" together and re-rank outputs using domain-specific logic, producing results that are explainable and auditable. Tinubu adds that this approach can run "what if" scenarios in minutes, allowing underwriters to test different outcomes without delay. Tinubu stresses that agentic AI will increasingly become part of the fabric of specialty insurance; a theme it will discuss during a live panel with the Berne Union and AWS on 26 February 2026. To read Tinubu's blog, go to https://www.tinubu.com/blog/from-hype-to-hands-on-agentic-ai-in-specialty-insurance. For event details, follow this link.

​​

AU Group acquires Meurice Assurance-Crédit and GESCO. AU Group has announced the acquisition of French brokerages Meurice Assurance-Crédit and GESCO, saying the move supports its multi-year development strategy and 'Driving New Excellence 2029' plan. The transaction adds the firms' trade credit insurance expertise and strengthens AU Group's presence among SMEs and mid-sized companies across France, supported by their local networks. AU Group said clients will continue to be served by local teams during a gradual transition, and that the combined platform will provide access to a wider range of solutions, including working capital financing (factoring), surety and political risk insurance. To read AU Group's news release, go to https://au-group.com/en/our-news/press-release-acquisition-meurice-assurance-credit-and-gesco.

​

Tom Powell was England rugby captain. Now he's tackling bad debts. In a profile published by The Times (subscription required), Tom Powell discusses his transition from professional rugby from elite sport into the trade credit insurance sector. Tom reflects on his move from professional rugby into the business world, describing how his post-sport career led him into insurance and venture capital. The article explains how this experience culminated in the founding of Bondaval in 2020 alongside Sam Damoussi, and draws on Tom's sporting background to explore his leadership style and approach to building a growing business. The profile was published by The Times:
https://www.thetimes.com/business/entrepreneurs/article/england-rugby-captain-tom-powell-bondaval-times-enterprise-network-7vhqnfzzf.

​

Atradius launches a Food & Drink Accelerator programme for UK SMEs. Atradius has announced a free online Food & Drink Accelerator for UK SMEs, launching in early 2026, to help food and drink businesses build resilience and plan for growth amid rising insolvency risk. The programme offers short modules (around 45-60 minutes) covering supply-chain resilience, export confidence (regulation, currency and market exposure), late-payment protection (credit policies and enforcing terms), and market insight on costs, consumer shifts and sector trends. Participants can also submit follow-up questions to four experts. Atradius notes that 60% of UK food and drink businesses close within their first year and 80% within five years, and that UK SMEs lost 76% of their cash reserves to business risks last year For more information, go to https://atradius.co.uk/food-and-drink-accelerator.

​

Q1 UK economic outlook: a sobering start with silver linings. Allianz Trade has advised that, despite significant headwinds, the UK recorded decent growth of 1.4% in 2025. However, while growth exceeded expectations in the first half of the year, the economy stuttered in the second half. The UK economy is likely to remain weak in 2026, with Allianz Trade anticipating that UK growth will slow to +1.0%, with a moderate improvement in 2027 (+1.2%), supported by lower interest rates. On the upside, Allianz Trade notes that fiscal policy has become more predictable following the Chancellor's Autumn Budget, with no major changes in legislation announced for 2026. 2026 should also see UK inflation normalise, as lower growth and a softening labour market help moderate lingering inflationary pressures. To read Allianz Trade's news release, go to https://www.allianz-trade.com/en_GB/insights/economic-research/q1-uk-economic-outlook-a-sobering-start-with-silver-linings.html.

​

Atradius analysis. A tale of two economies: the UK and Ireland in 2026. Atradius analysis suggests the UK and Ireland will both see weak growth in 2026, but for different reasons. For the UK, Atradius expects continued structural headwinds: weak business investment, a deteriorating labour market and cautious consumer spending. UK GDP growth is forecast at around 1% after an estimated 1.4% rise in 2025, while corporate insolvencies are expected to remain elevated. Ireland, by contrast, is facing a "reset" after headline growth of roughly 13% in 2025, largely driven by pharmaceutical exports to the US that were front-loaded ahead of tariff rises. Atradius says this creates a technical base effect that could see GDP fall around 0.6% in 2026, despite the economy operating near full capacity. Irish insolvencies, which peaked in 2024, could drop 26% this year. To read Atradius' blog, go to https://atradius.co.uk/knowledge-and-research/blog/a-tale-of-two-economies-the-uk-and-ireland-in-2026.

Only 3% of global businesses describe their supply chains as "very resilient". Supply chain resilience remains a major concern in the latest Allianz Risk Barometer. While cyber and AI disruption top the global rankings, business interruption including supply chain disruption ranks joint third for UK businesses — with only 3% of respondents globally describing their supply chains as "very resilient". Against this backdrop, Allianz also suggests that it expects insolvency risk to remain elevated, forecasting that global business insolvencies will rise by 3% in 2026 (after 6% in 2025), driven mainly by the US (+5%), China (+7%) and Germany (+1%). Elsewhere, Allianz anticipates only a moderate reversal of the previous downward trend, but around two-thirds of countries are still projected to record noticeably more bankruptcies than before the pandemic. To read Allianz Trade's news release, go to https://www.allianz-trade.com/en_GB/insights/economic-research/2026-uk-risk-barometer.html.

​

Atradius flags rising late payment rates in the automotive sector. Insurance Edge reports that Atradius has raised a red flag for the motor industry, with new data showing a sharp increase in claims linked to late and unpaid invoices. Failed and late payment claims against automotive businesses (including original equipment manufacturers, component manufacturers and dealerships) rose 78% year-on-year in November 2025. Claims across the wider transport sector, spanning rental firms, fleet operators and logistics providers, increased by 64%. Nicola Harris, Senior Risk Underwriter at Atradius, said: "What we’re seeing is the financial strain of a sector being reshaped in real time. Late payment claims are rising sharply across automotive and transport, reflecting mounting pressure on margins, asset values and liquidity." To read Insurance Edge's article, go to https://insurance-edge.net/2026/01/29/atradius-raises-warning-on-late-invoices-in-automotive-sector/.

​​

Coface expects global insolvencies to rise 2.8% in 2026. As reported by Insurance Business, Coface predicts that worldwide business insolvencies will increase by 2.8% in 2026, but warns that a 25-basis-point increase in business lending rates, relative to current expectations, would be enough to push global insolvency growth back up towards 4% to 5% in 2026. “2026 should offer a respite rather than an improvement,” said Jonathan Steenberg, Economist for Northwestern (UKI, Benelux and Nordics) countries at Coface. "The number of insolvencies will not fall: it will simply stop accelerating. If rates were to ease less quickly than anticipated, then stabilisation would immediately disappear." To read Insurance Business' article, go to https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/professional-liability/corporate-insolvencies-seen-to-rise-again-in-2026-as-interest-rate-risks-linger-coface-563418.aspx.​

​​

The Americas and China accounted for seventeen of the top twenty major insolvencies in 2025. The Americas and China dominated the largest corporate failures in 2025, together accounting for 17 of the top 20 major insolvencies. Allianz Trade's latest research also places the UK within Western Europe’s rebound in large-company failures: the UK recorded 56 "major" insolvencies in 2025 (companies with turnover above €50 million). Western Europe made up 65% of the global total (311 major failures), with Germany (94) and Italy (65) recording the highest counts in the region. The US continued to feature heavily among the biggest cases, accounting for four of the top ten major insolvencies in Q4 2025 and eleven of the top twenty across the year. By sector services,  retail, and construction were the hardest hit. To read Allianz Trade's report, go to https://www.allianz-trade.com/en_global/news-insights/economic-insights/major-insolvencies-new-decade-high-driven-services-retail-construction.html.

​

Five consecutive years of rising global insolvencies – the worst streak since the financial crisis. Insurance Business reports that new Allianz research found large businesses are going insolvent at a rate of one every 18 hours globally, warning that domino effects through supplier networks are heightening non-payment risks across sectors. A record 147 cases were recorded in Q4 2025, bringing the annual total to 475 – the largest quarterly and annual figure since Allianz began monitoring in 2015. The combined turnover of insolvent major companies increased by 31% year-on-year in Q4, reaching €66 billion. Global business insolvencies rose 6% in 2025, with Western Europe contributing at the same rate. Most advanced economies now exceed pre-pandemic insolvency levels, while five of nine Asian markets posted double-digit increases. To read Insurance Business' article, go to https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/breaking-news/five-straight-years-of-rising-insolvencies-marks-worst-streak-since-financial-crisis--allianz-564025.aspx.

​​

Findings from the Credendo Risk Atlas: A compass for risk in 2026. Trade Finance Global (TFG) features an overview by Kerlijne Van Steen, Credendo's Deputy General Manager, CPRI & Surety Underwriting, of Credendo's 2026 Risk Atlas, positioning it as a practical "compass" for where trade, investment and payment risk may concentrate in the year ahead. Kerlijne notes that the past year has highlighted how quickly global dynamics can shift, increasing unpredictability, and argues that the challenge is to assess the landscape with clarity while balancing resilience with strategic growth. Building on the publication of the Global Risk Atlas, Credendo is also hosting a webinar (in English) on 12 February (1.30–2.30 p.m. CET), which will examine the impact of geopolitical risks, with a particular focus on Latin America. To read TFG's raticle, go to https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/findings-from-the-credendo-risk-atlas-a-compass-for-risk-in-2026/.

To register for Credendo's webinar go to https://credendo.com/en/knowledge-hub/join-credendos-next-webinar-global-risk-atlas-1.
 

Atradius discusses common late payment excuses and how to respond. Atradius has published a guide on late payment that lists seventeen common excuses (from "we lost the invoice" to "cash-flow issues" and "bank delays") and recommends clear, consistent follow-up. Practical steps include resending the invoice, confirming details, requesting evidence (payment confirmations or references), and pursuing partial payment for undisputed amounts. Atradius highlights three "golden rules": demand evidence, time-box every conversation with firm dates, and link behaviour to consequences such as tighter terms, service restrictions and escalation. Atradius concludes that recurring excuses can indicate rising credit risk and stresses that "having credit insurance and access to professional collections can make all the difference when payment delays start piling up." To read Atradius' article, go to https://atradius.co.uk/knowledge-and-research/resources/dealing-with-late-payment-excuses.

​

Almost half of global trade receivables are now in high-risk markets. Insurance Business has reported that Allianz Trade has published the fourth edition of its 'Collection Complexity Score and Rating', which provides a snapshot of how companies try to recover unpaid invoices across 52 economies that represent 90% of global GDP and global trade. Allianz Trade estimated that 48% of international trade receivables are now in countries with either "Very High" (22%) or "Severe" (26%) collection complexity, totalling about US$1.1 trillion in global trade exposure. That share is one percentage point higher than in 2022, but, in absolute terms, the at-risk pool has grown significantly with the expansion of global trade. To read Insurance Business' article, go to https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/breaking-news/allianz-trade-almost-half-of-global-trade-receivables-now-in-highrisk-markets-563364.aspx.

​​

Atradius releases over 500 global industry forecasts. Atradius has published an updated 'Industry Forecast per Market', compiling 555 underwriter assessments of business performance and credit risk across 15 industries in 37 economies. Overall, 149 (26.8%) forecasts are classified as low risk, 212 (38.2%) moderate, and 194 (35%) high risk. Food, pharmaceuticals, financial services, chemicals, electronics/ICT, and agriculture score better than the benchmark, while machines/engineering and services sit in the mid-range. Elevated risk persists in transport, automotive, consumer durables and paper, with the weakest outlook in construction, metals/steel and textiles. To read Atradius' news release, with a downloadable Industry Performance Chart, go to https://atradius.co.uk/knowledge-and-research/news/atradius-releases-over-500-industry-forecasts-globally.

​​

Shortened Infogram edition of the Berne Union Yearbook 2025. Berne Union has released a shortened Infogram edition of its Yearbook 2025, bringing together selected articles and new video interviews on the forces shaping export credit and investment insurance. The edition examines how ECAs, insurers, and multilaterals are adapting to geopolitical fragmentation, a more assertive industrial policy, climate and defence priorities, and accelerating digitalisation. Highlights include perspectives from Berne Union President Yuichiro Akita on handling fragmentation through cooperation, Daniel de Búrca (ICISA) on regulatory change, and market data from the Berne Union team. Video contributions are from the World Bank, Pangea-Risk, EIFO, Credendo and Reuters. For more information, go to https://www.berneunion.org/Articles/Details/996/Berne-Union-Yearbook-video-commentary.​​​

​

Trade Credit Industry Dinner 2026. SCHUMANN has announced that it will host the annual Trade Credit Industry Dinner later this year, continuing a long-standing tradition of bringing together senior figures from across the trade credit and surety insurance market. The dinner comes as SCHUMANN expands its presence in the London market and implements leadership changes at SCHUMANN International Services Ltd, following the appointment of Evgeny Kulyushin as CEO and the promotion of Jan-Torben Schwager and Lara Biermann (see 'New Appointments'). Commenting on SCHUMANN’s focus, Evgeny commented: "Credit insurance software was the first product SCHUMANN offered on its launch 29 years ago, and the credit insurance industry in particular is a very important market for us. We expect the industry to focus heavily on the use of technology, especially AI, to cope with the changing trade cycles.” For more information about the Industry Dinner, go to https://events.prof-schumann.com/mailinglist-trade-credit-dinner..

​​​​