Your premium
For each guarantee application, EKN assesses the risk of non-payment in the associated transaction. The premium for EKN’s guarantees is linked to this risk assessment.
Calculate your premium
Here you can get an indication of the premium for EKN’s guarantee for loss on claim.
Please contact us by calling +46 8-788 00 00 or e-mailing info@ekn.se for short-term credits to high-income countries, price information for our other guarantees or for a more precise premium indication.
Risks and premiums
EKN’s risk assessment has two main components – assessment of political risk (country risk assessment) and assessment of commercial risk.
Under the current conditions, with convertible currencies and deregulation in most places, economic problems at country level can give rise to substantial currency and interest volatility with consequent negative impacts on companies. This is why credit risk assessment is conducted by a credit analyst in close collaboration with a country risk analyst.
About assessment of commercial risk
EKN conducts a credit analysis of the buying company and the group of which it is a member. The aim is to assess the prospects for the buyer’s future operations. How do we think the company will develop, how will it manage its payment undertakings and how great is the risk of the company entering into insolvency?
EKN assesses the repayment capacity and financial strength of the buyer. The risk assessment determines whether EKN can guarantee the transaction, how high or low the premium will be, the percentage that EKN can cover and what collateral may be necessary.
Based on the buyer’s country and sector, we analyse, inter alia, the buyer’s business, ownership structure, and market and financial positions as well as the value of any collateral provided.
A good understanding of the sector in which the company is active and an analysis of the financial position of the company/group are also important. It may also be necessary to look at budget figures and projections. It is therefore both useful and important for the exporter to provide as detailed information as possible about the buyer.
However, the assessment does not cover the terms and conditions of the transaction contract. The guarantee holder is responsible for ensuring that the contract is valid and drawn up in such a way as to correspond with the terms and conditions of the guarantee.
Lower your transaction premium
The risk level in a transaction determines the premium EKN takes out. As a guarantee holder, there are many ways in which you can reduce the risk in a transaction in order to lower the premium for EKN’s guarantee.
If you agree to provide additional collateral in the transaction, this can reduce the uncertainty in the transaction. If this results in a clear risk improvement, EKN may offer you a lower premium for your guarantee.
Pledged assets, reservation of title and sureties are all examples of additional collateral.
Contractual terms and conditions that lower risk
It may also be possible to reduce the premium in the guarantee by agreeing on certain terms and conditions in the contract that is to be guaranteed. These may include:
- Higher advance payment.
- Shorter credit period.
- Your acceptance of a higher excess in EKN’s guarantee.
- Use of an EKN guarantee for only part of the transaction period.
Accepting a higher excess and/or a shortened guarantee period directly affects the premium rate in your EKN guarantee.
Please contact us if you are unsure how to affect the premium in your transaction and we can suggest possible solutions.
Premium matrix: loss on claim guarantee, credit periods exceeding 12 months
For transactions with a credit period exceeding 12 months, EKN applies a tariff shown in a matrix with country risk categories from 0 to 7 and debtor categories from A to F.
The price levels in the matrix are shown as an annual premium rate in hundredths of a per cent (basis points) of the credit amount. The annual premium can be likened to an annual interest rate.
The tariff shows both an interval and a standard premium rate. Guarantees for smaller transactions are often priced at the standard rate. Guarantees for larger transactions are more usually priced within the entire interval. Degree of cover, currency and credit interest rate level affect the annual premium rate allocated.
The premium applied and debtor classification is determined by the transaction as a whole. This means that premium and debtor category are not only affected by the country risk category and the borrower’s own credit rating, but also by the amount, the transaction structure and the collateral offered. Depending on the amount and the structure, the premiums for two transactions involving the same company can therefore be set differently.
Transactions with a risk period exceeding 24 months are regulated by an OECD agreement. EKN’s pricing could be limited by a minimum premium in accordance with this agreement. For country risk category 1–7, a risk-reflected premium is set. For country risk category 0, market pricing is applied as the floor.
Premium matrix
As of 14 March 2025
(RC = Risk category)
| RC, Country | RC, Debtor | A | B | C | D | E | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Standard Interval |
5 |
15 10-25 |
40 25-65 |
95 65-125 |
165 125-240 |
325 240-500 |
| 1 | Standard Interval |
MPR 20-30 |
20 15-30 |
45 30-70 |
100 70-130 |
175 130-250 |
335 250-500 |
| 2 | Standard Interval |
MPR 20-30 |
45 30-60 |
75 60-95 |
120 95-150 |
195 150-270 |
355 270-500 |
| 3 | Standard Interval |
MPR 45-65 |
75 60-95 |
120 90-135 |
155 135-185 |
215 185-290 |
375 290-500 |
| 4 | Standard Interval |
MPR 80-120 |
140 120-155 |
165 155-180 |
190 180-230 |
255 230-310 |
395 310-500 |
| 5 | Standard Interval |
MPR 120-160 |
185 160-200 |
215 200-225 |
235 225-270 |
295 270-360 |
415 360-500 |
| 6 | Standard Interval |
MPR 160-225 |
240 225-245 |
260 245-280 |
300 280-315 |
340 315-385 |
435 385-500 |
| 7 | Standard Interval |
MPR 200-285 |
300 285-310 |
315 310-330 |
350 330-380 |
420 380-430 |
455 430-500 |
You can download the matrix in pdf format.
Debtor categories
The debtor in a transaction is placed in a category from A to F. Category A contains the country’s strongest debtors. Category F contains the weakest. Below is a description of how debtors are usually categorised. However, companies, banks and public sector borrowers can be placed in any category.
A Central bank/Ministry of Finance or companies with the same credit rating as the state (requires the same or better credit rating than the state)
B Central government agencies and ministries, state owned banks, top-rated banks and companies
C Very strong companies, normal banks, other public debtors
D Medium-strong credit rating
E Relatively weak credit rating, under average
F Weak credit rating
EKN’s country risk assessment
EKN summarises its country risk assessment in a country policy where we state the fundamental guidelines we use for the assessment of different countries. We update our country policy continually. The policy is based on EKN’s own perception of risk and on the minimum premium levels that are determined within the OECD collaboration.
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About country risk assessment
For each guarantee application, EKN makes an assessment of the risk of non-payment in the associated transaction. This is how it works.
About country risk assessment
Contact EKN
- Phone
- +46 8 788 00 00
-
info
@ekn.se
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