Trade Finance4 min read

Trade Finance: What UK Export Finance Covers for Exporters

Trade finance protects lenders and banks financing international trade. UK Export Finance, the government's own export credit agency, is the single largest provider of this kind of support to UK exporters.

Trade finance products help exporters access the working capital needed to win and fulfil export contracts, and protect the banks financing those transactions against buyer default.

Real scale: UKEF's Bond Support Scheme can guarantee up to 80% of a bond's value to an exporter's bank, releasing cash tied up as working capital. Its Export Working Capital Scheme provides a partial guarantee to a UK exporter's bank in support of working capital facilities linked to specific export contracts.

The core products

Why it matters for growing exporters

UKEF exists specifically to step in where the private market lacks appetite or capacity, particularly for emerging and developing markets. It works in partnership with banks and brokers rather than replacing them, and has regional Export Finance Managers who guide businesses through the process directly.

Trade finance is arranged in partnership with your bank and a specialist broker, not through an instant online quote. If your business is scaling export contracts, this is worth a direct conversation.

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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.