São Paulo – The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) plans to expand the number of countries serviced by the Exim Automático, a line of credit that allows importers to finance purchases of Brazilian products. The programme is available in Latin American nations, but the bank is now negotiating extension to Africa.
According to the head of the Foreign Trade Department at the BNDES, Leonardo Pereira, the credit line may be tapped from Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic and Peru, and contacts have already been made to take it to Panama, Honduras and Colombia.
"There are also negotiations in Africa, and we hope to make agreements there,” said Pereira. "There is demand,” he added, pointing out that talks are taking place with institutions in Mozambique, Angola and South Africa, with South Africa being used as a base to supply other markets on the continent. To have access to the programme, a foreign bank needs to establish a cooperation agreement with the BNDES.
Pereira does not discard other negotiations. “We are open to talks,” he said. He explained that talks usually start at the request of a foreign institution, or due to a demand presented by Brazilian exporters.
The transaction works in the following way: the importer calls for financing from the local bank, which taps the BNDES line, which, in turn, pays the Brazilian exporter after shipment of the goods. The line is therefore called "post-shipment".
The credit risk alongside the Brazilian institution, however, is not taken on by the buyer, but by the bank that intermediated the deal. The process may also take place through a letter of credit guaranteed by the foreign institution.
According to Pereira, the line focusses on exports of capital goods and the period for payment spans five years. Conditions, however, vary according to the country’s risk and to the partner. He guarantees, however, that the cost of loans is competitive in different countries in which the programme is available.
The great advantage, according to the executive, is that the banks operating in a specific country know the local clientele, know the local demands and have greater chance of providing better risk analysis. In this area, the BNDES works with Brazilian banks that have branches abroad, as well as international and local institutions.
Pereira added that the Exim Automático has financed over 50 operations since it was released, in 2010. The average is US$ 1.5 million per deal.
*Translated by Mark Ament
