National Export Strategy 2002 - International Trade Administration ...

The 2002 National Export Strategy
Canada: Many U.S. exporters are impressed by the Canadian approach to project
development. Canada’s export credit agency, EDC, essentially develops shopping lists
with foreign buyers that are then offered to Canadian exporters. On the foreign buyer
side, EDC reportedly offers exceptional customer service and flexibility. This
customer orientation helps EDC’s industry-focused teams build strategic relationships
and develop business with foreign buyers. An example of EDC’s customer orientation
is the use of pre-approved lines of credit to foreign buyers and banks—intended to
make purchases from Canadian exporters more attractive. Examples of EDC’s
flexibility include its use of the latest financing techniques and flexible application of
domestic content restrictions. On the domestic front, EDC proactively seeks out and
offers Canadian exporters market intelligence and financing to help them take
advantage of market opportunities, including help with deal facilitation.
Germany: Germany provides its exporters with export credit support through both
official and market windows, thereby providing flexible support for major projects and
capital equipment procurement. Through the official window, Hermes provides
export insurance cover as Germany’s traditional export credit agency. KfW, which
operates both an export credit market window and the German development
assistance program, has quickly become one of Germany’s largest providers of
financing for capital goods exports and international projects. Its strength in winning
business for German firms in developing countries appears to be its combined
mandates to promote German exports and finance investments and project-related
consulting services in developing countries. Under these mandates, KfW has
aggressively used its skills in both official export credit guarantees and official
developmental assistance (ODA) to steer much of its ODA financing toward energy,
environment, and transportation projects. KfW has given German industry in these
sectors a considerable competitive advantage. As in Canada, the rapid growth of
exports supported by KfW can be attributed to its embrace of market windows.
France: Strong cooperation in France follows from the centralization of government
export and investment promotion, trade policy development, and trade financing
under the overall aegis of the Direction des Relations Économiques Extérieures
(DREE). DREE is an increasingly influential entity within the French Ministry of
Economics, Finance, and Industry, itself a “super-ministry” with responsibilities
including trade policy, trade and investment promotion, customs, taxation, and
export finance.
United Kingdom: The United Kingdom recently strengthened and streamlined
interagency cooperation through the creation of British Trade International (BTI) in
May 1999—a merger of the export promotion functions of the Department of Trade
and Industry (Commerce Department equivalent) and of the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office (State Department equivalent). BTI offers technical assistance
programs for training potential international clients. The Export Credits Guarantee
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