Trade credits

Export claims and advances as well as import accounts payable and advances are classified under trade credits. Trade credits refer to trade credits related to goods and services trade, such as accounts payable, supplier credits (term of payment granted by foreign sellers), trade payables and advances received from foreign buyers for the current or future delivery of goods or services.

Trade credit data are collected in connection with surveys on the foreign assets and liabilities of companies and government bodies. The figures on trade credits, obtained from business surveys used for the regular, intra-year compilation of statistics, are increased according to their coverage, because exporters and importers considerably outnumber the companies relevant for financial transactions.