Enabling trade, creating impact.
Supporting Dutch companies in doing business abroad is our top priority. We do this by offering financing solutions, such as insurance and guarantees for Dutch exporters and buyers. In doing so, we offer companies a foothold in a rapidly changing world.
We have a wide range of products in our portfolio and are constantly developing them. We do this on the basis of strategic needs from both the market and politics. We are part of the Dutch government's trade toolkit and work closely with ministries, Invest International, banks and embassies.
Recent geopolitical and trade developments cause us to look at issues such as the reconstruction of Ukraine and critical raw materials.
We are committed to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. We are encouraging green transactions and excluding fossil transactions. Through our green insturments, we promote sustainable exports. In addition, we have developed the Green Label to determine whether a transaction qualifies as green. In doing this, we are well on our way to a greener ECI.
Our financing solutions offer Dutch exporters support in doing business internationally. We work together with the European Union (EU) to harmonize European directives and regulations to create a level playing field and with the OECD through which we negotiate common financial terms and conditions, and sets international norms to meet international environmental, social and anti-bribery standards. In addition, we are a member of the Berne Union where we exchange knowledge and experience with the other members.
By supporting exporters and banks and financing transactions, we contribute to broader development goals here and elsewhere. With our insurance products, we support production, knowledge and technological development in the Netherlands. In doing so, we contribute to improving the poistion of the Netherlands as a trading country and to the GDP and employment in the Netherlands. Dutch exports also potentially have a positive impact on sustainable development goals abroad. By facilitating export financing, ECI contributes to the access of high-quality goods, services, knowledge and technological innovations for economic development in recipient countries. Moreover, many projects to which the ECI contributes, create local jobs.
Transactions between €100,000 and €5 million are difficult to finance in the Netherlands due to regulations and banking challenges. With our customized products, we enable financing for SME exporters. By doing so, we contribute to closing the SME financing gap. This is important because SMEs are the backbone of the Dutch economy. By supporting SME exporters, we not only stimulate their growth and international expansion, but also contribute to the overall economic development and employment in the Netherlands. Since 2022, the percentage of SME transactions has risen sharply. In 2023, this percentage remained high, with as many as half of the transactions involving SMEs.
Next to our clients within the government, we are part of the trade promotion ecosystem. Our partners are public and private financial institutions such as Invest-NL and Invest International, Nederlandse Waterschapsbank (CIRR window) as well as investors and fund managers such as OHV, Prow Capital and Climate Fund Managers.
With Dutch Embassies, NBSOs, RVO we help entrepreneurs and exporters with country and sector knowledge, internationalization and financing issues. With industry associations, such as FME, NWP and Evofenedex and VNO-NCW, we form the Network International Entrepreneurship (NIO) with periodic consultations and exchange.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consist of 17 targets, which together embody the global sustainable development agenda for 2030. Since 2019, we have been reporting the potential positive and negative contributions to the various SDGs in recipient countries for all insured transactions (ECI, DGGF and DTIF).
We measure and report the potential negative and positive impact of our transactions annually in our Annual Review.
