UK Export Finance isn't a broker commenting on political risk from the sidelines, it's a UK government department that issues this cover directly. Here's what it protects against and why it exists.
Political risk insurance protects businesses with overseas assets, contracts, or investments against losses caused by government action, expropriation, currency inconvertibility, contract frustration, or political violence, rather than ordinary commercial risk.
Who's actually behind this cover: UK Export Finance was established in 1919 as the world's first export credit agency. It exists specifically to support UK businesses trading and investing overseas when the private insurance market can't or won't take on the risk, and has provided over £18.5 billion of support for UK exports in the last five years alone.
This isn't cover for a business that simply sells to overseas customers, it's for businesses with physical assets, long-term contracts, or direct investment in politically less stable markets. UKEF's own products are explicitly aimed at supporting exporters into emerging and developing markets where the private sector often lacks capacity or appetite to insure the risk.
Free, no obligation. We connect you with specialist brokers who place this cover through Lloyd's and government-backed schemes.
Speak to a Specialist →This article references publicly available information from UK Export Finance for context. CoverMatch is not affiliated with, and this article is not endorsed by, UKEF. Political risk cover is placed via specialist brokers and Lloyd's markets, always confirm current terms directly.