UKEF says £11bn export finance supported 85,000 UK jobs

UK Export Finance provided £11bn of export support in the 2025/26 financial year, backing exporters across sectors including infrastructure, defence, manufacturing and services.

The UK export credit agency said its support helped sustain up to 85,000 jobs across the country, according to its latest annual results.

The figures were published alongside UKEF’s annual report and economic impact analysis for 2025/26. The agency said its support continues to focus on ensuring viable UK exports are not lost because of a lack of finance or insurance.

The annual results follow the recent launch of UKEF’s £50bn Defence Export Fund, which increased the agency’s overall capacity to £130bn. The new annual figures show the scale of UKEF’s activity before that expanded defence capacity is fully reflected in future reporting.

Export credit agencies have become more important as companies face higher interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty and more complex buyer risk. For exporters, government-backed finance can support working capital, contract fulfilment and payment risk management where commercial bank capacity alone may not be sufficient.

UKEF’s support covers products including guarantees, buyer credit, insurance and working capital support through private-sector lenders.

The jobs figure also underlines the supply-chain effect of export finance. Large export contracts often involve networks of UK suppliers, service providers and manufacturers that depend on financing being available at the point of contract award and delivery.

For banks, UKEF guarantees can help support facilities that might otherwise fall outside normal credit appetite, particularly where exporters need funding to fulfil large international orders or manage risk in overseas markets.

The annual results reinforce the role of export finance as both a trade policy tool and a working capital mechanism for businesses competing in international markets.