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From Nomination to Finalist – Coface UK’s Abbie Sandford’s delight

Abbie Sandford, National New Business Manager for Coface UK, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the prestigious Women in Insurance Awards 2020 in the category of ‘Young Insurance Woman of the Year (small to medium firms)’.

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Trade Credit Insurance Explained - with examples

Credit insurance gives you essential cover against credit risks such as non-payments or late payments. If a customer doesn’t pay, you can simply claim against your insurance policy.

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Post-pandemic production relocation: an opportunity for CEE countries?

Foreign trade and inclusion in supply chains had already increased in recent years, supported by EU membership by most CEE (Central and Eastern European) countries in 2004.

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Global Transport: What does the future hold beyond COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a mobility crisis, mainly because of physical distancing requirements and the necessity to avoid confined spaces, to limit the virus’propagation. This has had a disastrous impact on the global transport sector, with air passenger transport being the most affected segment.

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United States: Two-speed business bankruptcies

As the COVID-19 epidemic hits the United States very hard, Coface forecasts in its baseline scenario that the country's GDP will contract by 5.6% in 2020, before rebounding by 3.3% in 2021. Nevertheless, this forecast is threatened by the resurgence of the outbreak in several states, which are already pausing or even reversing the resumption of activity after the extensive lockdown of April.

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Asia Corporate Payment Survey 2020: COVID-19 will overturn last year’s incipient recovery

After a 2019 that was dominated by trade tensions between the United States and China, Coface has observed an incipent recovery in Asia (excluding China), supported by supply chain shifts and additional liquidity from the US Federal Reserve.

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Coface finalises the acquisition of GIEK Kredittforsikring AS

Coface announces the closing of the acquisition of GIEK Kredittforsikring AS, a company that manages a short-term export credit insurance portfolio.

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It’s never been more important to really know your customers

The Government has given more businesses the green light to start operating again but many are short of cash. If you want to be confident about trading on credit terms, it is essential to fully understand how the pandemic has affected your customers’ risk profile. This Coface blog explains how trade risk during the pandemic can be influenced by a customer’s country, their trade sector and their current financial position.

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Are corporate balance sheets in Spain and Italy ready for the COVID-19 shock?

Although the second quarter of 2020 is shaping up to be the most challenging period of the year, there are now good reasons to think that the road to recovery will be long and arduous. Despite immediate tax deferrals, liquidity guarantees, it is likely that many firms will find themselves in difficulty.
According to Coface forecasts, Spain and Italy will be among the economies hardest hit by COVID-19, contracting by 12.8% and 13.6% respectively in 2020. Corporate insolvencies are expected to increase by 22% in Spain and 37% in Italy by 2021, relative to 2019 levels. For 2021, Coface forecasts that Spain and Italy’s GDP will rebound by 10.2% and 8.9%, leaving the economies 3.9% and 5.9% below 2019 levels.

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Business insolvencies in Europe: amendments to legal procedures temporarily postpone due dates

Many European countries have temporarily amended the legal framework of default procedures to help companies deal with the crisis, postponing growth of insolvencies in Europe.

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From a massive shock to a diversified recovery

A few weeks after the first containment easing measures, economic activity seems to be picking up in most European countries. However, about two months after China, this gradual and partial recovery will not erase the effects of containment on global growth.

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Coface Barometer: From a massive shock to a diversified recovery

Coface forecasts that the recession in 2020 (a 4.4% drop in world GDP) will be stronger than that of 2009. Despite the recovery expected in 2021 (+5.1%) – assuming there is no second wave of the coronavirus pandemic – GDP would remain 2 to 5 points lower in the United States, the eurozone, Japan, and the United Kingdom, when compared to 2019 levels.

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Coface delivers record first semester in riskier economy

Net income up 25% at €78.5m, RoATE at 9.6% and Partial Internal Model submitted

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Asia Corporate Payment Survey 2019: Deteriorating payment trends amid trade war woes

Coface’s 2019 Asia Corporate Payment Survey covered over 3,000 companies in nine economies (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan). 63% of companies surveyed stated that they experienced payment delays in 2018. The length of payment delays increased to 88 days on average in 2018, compared to 84 days in 2017. The length of payment delays was highest in China, Malaysia and Singapore; as well as the energy, construction and ICT sectors.

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Coface Barometer - Trade tensions return to the forefront of the global economy

US/China trade war, struggling automotive sector, slower growth in emerging economies... the second quarter of 2019 highlights a global economic slowdown.

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Business can't stay still say experts at Coface Country Risk Conference

Brexit, tariff wars and social unrest have created a fog of uncertainty for business but there was plenty of clarity and insight at the seventh Coface Country Risk Conference in London on June 20th which featured a highly distinguished line-up of experts, including the French Ambassador to United Kingdom, Jean-Pierre Jouyet.

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Coface Delivers a Strong First Quarter 2019

Net income at €36.4m and RoATE at 9.0%, supported by full impact of Fit to Win plan, portfolio growth and sound underwriting management

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The turnaround in the industrial cycle hits companies in the chemicals sector in Europe and North America

Signs of a slowing global economy continue to accumulate - 2019: the number of insolvencies will increase in two-thirds of countries (+3% in Western Europe) - The chemical industry in Europe and North America is suffering from fewer opportunities in the automotive sector - Improvements in assessments are concentrated in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia's upgrade (B)

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Turkish economy: domestic demand still waning but exports fuelled by the lira’s depreciation

Turkey is experiencing a severe economic slowdown coupled with a jump in inflation as a result of the sharp depreciation of the lira during 2018, which hit the country’s production and consumption dynamics.

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Two pitfalls for businesses in 2019: the economic downturn and political risks

Coface will be sharing its vision of the major trends in the world economy in 2019 with businesses at its annual conference on country and sectoral risks.

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