Employee standing in a warehouse with a "Made in Germany" box

Your way to buy 'Made in Germany'

How may we support your business with Germany?

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Are you interested in doing business

On the basis of short-term credit?

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Benefit from German interest rates and financing

Without restricting your bank credit line

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This is your role in getting Hermes Cover

Please provide us witth the required information

Please do not hesitate to get in contact with

Your regional financing expert or a consultant in Germany

Financing experts

Find your financing expert at the AHK's for the Middle East and Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, Southeast Asia or Türkiye.

Consultants in Germany

Depending on where your German supplier is located

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This is how it works

The Federal Republic of Germany has mandated Euler Hermes Aktiengesellschaft (Euler Hermes) to manage its export credit guarantee scheme – also known as Hermes Cover.

As the Federal Government's Commissioner we prepare the application of your exporter or the lending bank for a decision on cover.

This means your German business partner should get in touch with Euler Hermes as early as possible - i.e. while negotiations are still going on but in any case before signing the export contract.

Your German business partner will be able to obtain cover of transactions on short credit terms.

Transactions on short credit terms

When raw materials, semi-finished goods, components, consumer goods and spare parts are supplied, only credit periods of up to six months are normally accepted for the granting of Hermes Cover. For high-value components and consumer durables credit periods of up to 12 months, in exceptional cases of up to two years, may be acceptable. For recurring supplies at short payment terms the export credit guarantee scheme offers cost-effective and straightforward Wholeturnover Policies and revolving guarantees to the German exporters. But it goes without saying that single transactions can also be covered.However, Hermes Cover for transactions at short credit terms is available to German exporters only if your company is domiciled outside the EU or the OECD core countries. Cover of export business at short credit terms in EU or OECD core countries is regarded as marketable because private insurance companies offer sufficient insurance facilities. Therefore the Federal Government is not allowed to offer cover for this type of business; for a limited period of time until 31.03.2022, Export Credit Guarantees of the Federal Republic of Germany are also available for these normally marketable countries.

or transactions on medium and long credit terms

Transactions on long credit terms

Export transactions with an agreed credit term of up to five years are classified as medium-term business. Longterm credits may have repayment terms of up to 12 years - in exceptional cases up to 18 years. For these types of business a wide range of customized single transaction guarantees is available.

Below you will learn more about the two most important forms of cover - supplier credit cover and buyer credit cover
HOW DOES SUPPLIER CREDIT COVER WORK?

If your business partner grants you a payment term with a due date, he can insure this credit with a Supplier Credit Guarantee. The business transaction will become more attractive for you if the German exporter can transfer his risk of bad debt losses and grant you a longer period for payment. In some cases the German exporter may have no alternative but to do this in order to obtain funding from his bank for himself. However, for the granting of a Supplier Credit Guarantee, it is important that you assist in the process by making all required documents available to our partner.

HOW DOES BUYER CREDIT COVER WORK?

Export transactions at medium and long credit terms are frequently financed through a bank by means of a BUYER CREDIT. Normally, your German business partner will be able to arrange such a credit - do not hesitate to ask him! The German bank (but also certain foreign banks as well as all German subsidiaries of foreign banks) will grant you or a bank in your country a credit with which the purchase price you owe to the German supplier will be paid immediately upon delivery of the goods or when the rendering of services commences. Thus the pressure on the German exporter’s balance sheet will be relieved straightaway - hence the buyer credit will always have a positive effect on his liquidity. This is the key advantage for the German exporter because in contrast to a supplier credit where he grants you a period for payment, he need not refinance himself. You may frequently benefit from longer credit repayment terms when a bank is involved. BUYER CREDIT COVER protects against a possible non-payment of your loan for commercial or political reasons - for example insolvency or war-like events in your country. Frequently, banks will only grant a buyer credit if the Federal Government provides a corresponding guarantee. Thus the commitment for cover may be decisive for your import transaction to materialize. However, buyer credit cover will require a vetting of the transaction. For that both the current situation in your country and your company’s creditworthiness are material. In order to ensure a swift and smooth investigation, you should make information material available at the earliest possible.

As a rule a down-payment amounting to 15 percent of the contract value and payment of the
remaining 85 percent in at least semi-annual instalments are required for transactions with 
credit terms of more than one year. 

Financing your imports and getting ECA cover – 
What does it cost?

Find out an indicative all-in premium and get your financing schedule

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The German industry landscape offers the broadest range of sectors in the world!

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This is your role in getting "Hermes Cover"

After you have asked your German business partner to contact Euler Hermes in order to apply for Hermes Cover there is just one more thing to do.

In order to be able to judge whether you as importer of goods or services will be able to meet your contractual obligations, our experts will assess your creditworthiness. 

 

Please provide us with the information required

The assessment focuses on your BALANCE SHEET, your ASSETS, your FINANCIAL POSITION and your PROFITS during the past three years.

The more detailed the information you provide is, the swifter a decision can be taken.

In addition to the assessment of your own creditworthiness, we consider the current situation in your country: If you want to learn more about our current cover policy for your country. 

We understand your needs…

You are just looking for pure products and services “Made in Germany” but also for:

 

EFFICIENT AND RELIABLE PROCESSES

  • Negotiations and the drafting of contracts can be tough and challenging. ed tape and unnecessary paperwork on top of that are not helpful.

 

LASTING TRUST IN OUR BUSINESS RELATION

  • Good processes rely on a solid bases of mutual trust and long-term relations.

 

FINANCING AT FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS

  • For almost all import business transactions financing by a bank is required. But how to get the best conditions?

 

ATTRACTIVE PRICE LEVEL

  • It is not only the quality of a product that is essential but also its price. There are ways to strengthen your position.

 

COMPETITIVENESS

  • All these issues determine your competitive position

 

We support you when it comes to meet all your requirements!

For sure there are products and services “Made in Germany” that fit exactly your business needs.

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…and provide you with best solutions

EXPERIENCE

  • We have more than 60 years of experience in export business and built up a large knowledge base and a broad network on which we can rely when adapting “Made in Germany” to your business needs.

 

FLEXIBILITY

  • We are aware of the fact that no business transaction is like any other. Therefore we offer a wide range of export guarantee products provided by the Federal Republic of Germany which will help you and the German exporter to find the best possible solution at most favourable conditions.

 

ADVICE

  • We will support you and your German business partner where necessary throughout the entire process of the transaction.

 

FINANCING CONDITIONS

  • Your company will benefit from the cover against bad debt losses for German exporters and the financing banks when buying products and services “Made in Germany”. You can obtain medium to long-term financing  at highly competitive conditions.

Who we are and where to find us

Euler Hermes Aktiengesellschaft has managed the official export credit guarantee scheme on behalf and for account of the Federal Government since 1949 with the combined expertise of around 400 employees.

In the year 2022 we supported international projects worth the total amount of EUR 14,9 bn.

 

Do you have any further questions?

Our experts in Germany are happy to support you with knowledge, advice and their vast experience.

For more information do not hesitate to contact your nearest German Chamber of Commerce abroad (AHK). 

Click here for further details!

Your contacts

Please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Kundenberatung
Sie haben Fragen zur Exportfinanzierung? Wir unterstützen Sie.
Felix Brücher
International Business Development | Finanzierungsexperte Türkei, German ECA Desk
Alexandra Lutz
Finanzierungsexpertin AHK Singapur | Südostasien & Bangladesch
Eva Steinhaus
Finanzierungsexpertin AHK VAE (Dubai) | Mittlerer Osten, Nordafrika
Emilia von Mettenheim
Finanzierungsexpertin, AHK Côte d´Ivoire, Abidjan I Westafrika und Subsahara Afrika