Export Credit Agency Financing Guide
Structure an imported-equipment financing package: clearly distinguish the borrower, exporter, lender and ECA roles, then check content, repayment and documentation before contracting.
How ECA financing actually works
In buyer credit, the buyer borrows from a lender and pays the exporter under the supply contract. ECA insurance or a guarantee covers defined risks, not every lender exposure. In supplier credit, the exporter extends payment terms to the buyer and may seek cover for the receivable. Direct lending is another programme-dependent route. Record the borrower, insured party, uncovered share, drawdown conditions and repayment start date in the financing brief.
Map the exporter and agency before shortlisting
Record the exporter country, equipment origin, imported content and local works separately. Confirm the agency's current programme and country cover rather than treating supplier nationality as proof of eligibility. Use the funding directory to research institutions; it is a directory, not an approval or lender recommendation.
Buyer eligibility rules
- Export content: provide the exporter, origin breakdown and contract scope for agency confirmation.
- Buyer and country: confirm current country cover and the lender's credit requirements.
- Project readiness: collect the draft supply contract, financial information and evidence of sponsor funding.
- Due diligence: ask which environmental, social, integrity and permitting documents apply to this programme.
What ECA-covered pricing looks like
Compare the interest basis, bank margin, ECA premium, arrangement and commitment fees, hedging, and whether the premium is paid upfront or financed. The OECD financing terms specify minimum CIRRs for official fixed-rate financing support; there is no equivalent minimum floating-rate rule in the Arrangement. Do not assume cover guarantees a lower all-in cost. Use the commercial loan vs ECA comparison for that decision, and the ECA vs development-bank guide to evaluate complementary funding roles.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be based in an OECD country to use ECA financing?+
A buyer outside the OECD may qualify, subject to agency country cover, eligible export content and lender approval. The supplier's address alone does not establish eligibility.
How long does ECA approval take?+
There is no universal approval timetable. Ask the agency and lender for a project-specific sequence covering content checks, credit approval, due diligence, documentation and conditions before first drawdown.
Can two ECAs cover the same project?+
Yes — 'multi-source ECA' structures are common when the EPC scope is split across suppliers in different countries. Each ECA covers its own supplier's portion.
What if the equipment is only partly from the supplier country?+
Submit an origin and value breakdown for written agency confirmation. Foreign-content and local-cost allowances differ by programme; do not infer eligibility from the supplier's address alone.
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