ABSTRACT
The French supply cheap finance during the pre-shipment period for the import of raw materials and working capital in general. Once a firm has a regular export business, it may obtain such cheap money on a continuing basis even though it cannot point to any specific export orders. Greece provides subsidised credit for individuals investing in export industries. The subsidisation of export loans can appear as an expenditure item in the national budget. The Brazilian authorities have had many unfortunate experiences in providing working capital for exporters who claimed to have firm export orders but in fact utilised the cheap money for production which they marketed at home. Harold Wilson's administrations excelled in giving instructions to British financial institutions. To halt the mad race of giving ever longer and cheaper export credits, the rich nations assembled and solemnly signed the International Agreement on Guidelines for Officially Supported Export Credit, known as the Consensus.
