SME policy: Export risk insurance
Selling your products overseas is not without risk. Swiss Export Risk Insurance (SERV) offers SMEs helpful protection.
Exports do represent an opportunity for Swiss SMEs, but it is not without risk. Political instabilities in the target country, refusal to pay from the customer overseas, problems during transportation—there are many reasons why an exporter might never get paid. For an overview of the main export risks, see:
The different risks associated with import-export
To mitigate the risks of international trade, the Confederation has set up Swiss Export Risk Insurance (SERV). This organization, under the supervision of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), operates in addition to private insurance. For Swiss companies, it covers the political and commercial risks associated with exports, offering additional security for operating on external markets, particularly in unstable countries. SERV supports the competitiveness of Swiss exporters and helps to maintain and create jobs in Switzerland.
Any business may call on the services of SERV, irrespective of size, as long as it has its head office in Switzerland and the exported products include a certain proportion of Swiss added value. For more information on SERV, see: