# What Is an Export Credit Agency (ECA)?

![Export Credit Agency: Institutions that offer funding, loan guarantees, and insurance to facilitate domestic companies' international exports.](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/yvi9oxzFLb_BbZAwTQFHmWcIqkY=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ExportCreditAgency-final-1b46b6e9729d4dfda5453666353440f7.png)

*Export Credit Agencies support the domestic economy and employment by helping companies find overseas product markets. — Zoe Hansen / Investopedia*

> **Definition**
>
> An export credit agency (ECA) is a financial institution that provides loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to domestic companies for their international export activities.

## What Is an Export Credit Agency (ECA)?

An export credit agency offers [trade finance](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/tradefinance.asp) and other services to facilitate domestic companies' international exports. Most countries have ECAs that provide loans, [loan guarantees](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/guarantor.asp), and insurance to eliminate the uncertainty of exporting to other countries.

ECAs support the domestic economy and employment by helping companies find overseas product markets. ECAs can be government agencies, quasi-governmental agencies, or even commercial financial institutions.

### Key Takeaways

*   Export credit agencies offer loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to help domestic companies limit the risk of selling goods and services in overseas markets.
*   ECAs can be government agencies, private lenders, or semi-government bodies.
*   The OECD maintains a list of official global ECAs.

## Global ECAs

ECAs provide the necessary support if risk-wary private lenders pull back from export finance. As of 2023, thirty-nine official global ECAs offer funding to support efforts to sell goods and services abroad.ECAs are critical to national [industrial strategies](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/011416/exportled-growth-strategies-through-history.asp). They can arrange government-backed loans, guarantees, and insurance in some of the world's riskiest and most volatile markets.

> **Important**
>
> The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the official ECA in the U.S.

## ECA Offerings

ECAs play a role in world trade. The export credit [guarantees](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-guarantee.asp) a lower risk than private lending. ECAs can be a leading player in international project financing and exports. ECAs such as [EXIM](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/ex-im-bank.asp) help fill the funding gap that private-sector lenders create with their inability or unwillingness to provide financing.

Governments provide officially supported export credits through Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) to support national exporters competing for overseas sales. Support can be official financing, refinancing, interest-rate support, insurance, or guarantee cover for credits provided by private financial institutions.

## What Is the Role of EXIM in the United States?

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is an independent Executive Branch agency backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. whose mission is to support American jobs by supporting the export of U.S. goods and services. 

## Where Is Information Available on ECAs?

The [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/oecd.asp) (OECD) maintains a list of the official global ECAs.

## What Is Export Credit Insurance?

Export credit insurance (ECI) protects an exporter of products and services against the risk that a foreign buyer will not remit payment.

## The Bottom Line

Export credit agencies offer funding, loan guarantees, and insurance to support overseas trade transactions. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) maintains a list of the official global ECAs.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  OECD. "[ECAs](https://www.oecd.org/trade/topics/export-credits/documents/links-of-official-export-credit-agencies.pdf)."
>     
> 2.  EXIM. "[Export Solutions](https://grow.exim.gov/blog/official_export_credit_agency_u.s#:~:text=As%20reported%20in%20the%20June,are%20115%20known%20official%20ECAs.)."
>     
> 3.  OECD. "[Export Credits](https://www.oecd.org/trade/topics/export-credits/)."
>     
> 4.  EXIM. "[About EXIM](https://www.exim.gov/about)."
>     
> 5.  International Trade Administration. "[Export Credit Insurance](https://www.trade.gov/export-credit-insurance)."