Export Finance Australia (EFA) and Japan’s Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) have signed an updated reciprocal reinsurance agreement, strengthening a longstanding partnership between the two countries’ export credit agencies.
The agreement was signed in Tokyo by EFA managing director and CEO John Hopkins and NEXI CEO Atsuo Kuroda.
The updated deal enables both agencies to share risk more efficiently, support larger and more complex transactions, and streamline deal execution, EFA said. The renewed agreement also reinforces both organizations’ shared commitment to cooperation in priority areas, including climate and energy security, Indo-Pacific infrastructure, and critical minerals.
EFA is Australia’s government-backed export credit agency, providing commercial finance for export trade, overseas investment, and infrastructure development. NEXI, established in 2001 and restructured as a 100% government-owned special stock company in April 2017, serves as Japan’s export credit agency under the Trade and Investment Insurance Act.
The announcement comes ahead of the 2026 commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, which established the foundation for modern Australia-Japan collaboration.
Hopkins said the refreshed agreement would open new avenues for the agencies to assist exporters.
“EFA and NEXI enjoy a strong and collaborative relationship that mirrors the broader partnership between Australia and Japan,” Hopkins said. “This refreshed agreement will create new avenues for our agencies to assist exporters, including by fostering closer commercial ties between Australian and Japanese businesses.”
Kuroda said the signing marked a significant step toward deeper bilateral cooperation.
“Today’s signing marks an important milestone, and we strongly hope that it will lead to further progress in our project-level cooperation across a broad range of fields,” Kuroda said. “Through close collaboration and the sharing of our respective expertise, we are committed to contributing to the sustainable economic growth of both Australia and Japan.”
Export credit agencies (ECA) are playing an expanding role in financing large-scale infrastructure and energy transition projects, particularly across Asia, where demand for long-term capital has grown alongside decarbonization efforts. Industry observers have noted that ECAs are increasingly being used to mobilize funding for renewable energy, transport networks, and cross-border industrial developments, positioning them as key instruments in supporting sustainable growth.
Recently, EFA has backed major projects tied to critical minerals supply chains, including a financing package for Rio Tinto’s Rincón Lithium Project in Argentina. The agency committed a financing facility of up to $275 million to support Australian suppliers providing specialized technology and engineering services for the project.
