GB Trade Credit News – Q3 2026

In this edition:

• S&P Global report finds no short-term impact of Middle East conflict on credit insurers
• Atradius examines the impact of Brexit 10 years on
• Willis report highlights key risks facing the metals sector
• Tokio Marine HCC analyses challenges in the U.K. food and drink sector
• Willis announces new appointments

S&P Global report finds no short-term impact of Middle East conflict on credit insurers

A recent S&P Global report found that the conflict in the Middle East has had little immediate impact on the credit insurance market. Claims and premiums have remained static, and insurers have not pulled out of the region. Pieter Van Ede, head of global trade credit at Willis, was quoted as saying “the need for trade credit insurance is likely to remain high even for large multinational companies that should be able to survive any economic shocks arising from the conflict due to the credit risk insights that insurers have into their counterparties in the Middle East.”

Atradius examines the impact of Brexit 10 years on

A report from Atradius used official Office for National Statistics (ONS) data to examine the impact of Brexit on the U.K. economy. Prior to the referendum, the U.K. economy was growing at 3% per year with both the EU and the rest of the world. Since then, growth has fallen to 0.5% with the EU and 1.2% with the rest of the world. The EU still represents 49.5% of U.K. trade, compared to 51.3% ten years ago. New trade agreements represent just 1.4% of U.K. trade and have not compensated for weaker growth in trade with the EU.

The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that Brexit will reduce U.K. productivity by around 4% compared with continued EU membership. Atradius concludes that Brexit has squeezed margins, increased supply chain complexity and raised working capital needs. This makes credit risk management and robust payment terms more important than at any time since the referendum.

Willis report highlights key risks facing the metals sector

Willis has partnered with Oxford Analytica and interviewed a panel of senior economists and risk management professionals to produce a report on the new economic risks facing the metals sector. Key risks include the fragmentation of global trade, with tariffs, sanctions and industrial policy measures disrupting international supply chains and trade flows. Businesses also face mounting pressure from higher energy costs driven by the war in Ukraine, alongside ongoing regional conflicts and disruptions to maritime shipping routes. The concentration of demand for, and processing capacity of, metals in Asia makes worldwide trade overdependent on markets such as China.

The report concludes that high tariffs are likely to remain in place, which causes displaced surpluses to seek new markets that may, in turn, respond with further tariffs. The key question is whether this process will be managed cooperatively or through competitive escalation.

Tokio Marine HCC analyses challenges in the U.K. food and drink sector

Tokio Marine HCC has published a report on the U.K. food and drink sector. The report finds that supply chain issues continue to threaten global trade, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up costs of insurance, freight and fertiliser. There are also concerns that an El Niño weather pattern could develop in the autumn, potentially affecting harvests across several major growing regions and driving up food prices in the U.K.

Meanwhile, the hospitality sector has been impacted by increases in taxation and the National Living Wage and has been unable to pass on all its cost increases as consumer spending power continues to weaken. In early 2026, three hospitality outlets were reported to be closing each day.

Willis announces new appointments

We are delighted to welcome Martina Montgomery, who joins from Aon, where she was branch director. With more than 17 years’ experience in the trade credit insurance market, Martina has worked with both global and national clients, helping businesses manage credit risk and support growth strategies. We are also delighted to announce the appointment of Tony Edwards, who joins us with nearly 20 years’ experience and was previously part of the global and multinational trade credit practice at Aon. Both Martina and Tony are now part of Willis Credit Risk Solutions, where they will focus on delivering trade credit insurance and risk advisory solutions across the U.K. and internationally.

Insolvencies in May, June and July

1. Lavval Restaurants Ltd (trading as Spaghetti House) – Restaurant group
2. KCH (Ashford) Ltd – Construction company
3. The Real Greek Food Company Ltd – Restaurant operator
4. Airsprung Furniture Ltd – Mattress manufacturer
5. Devonshire Homes Ltd – Construction company/ residential developer
6. United Tooling Solutions Ltd – Machine manufacturer
7. Curo Construction Ltd – Construction company
8. Coops Embs Ltd – Electrical contractor
9. Robocoaster Ltd – Robot technology manufacturer
10. Ardmore Construction Group Ltd – Construction contractor
11. Maroush Group Ltd – Restaurant group
12. Mackoy Ltd – Groundworks specialist
13. Zentia Ltd – Ceiling parts manufacturer
14. Agetur (UK) Ltd – Construction company
15. Hawksmoor Construction Ltd – Housebuilder
16. Sage Dig Utilities Ltd – Fibre-optic infrastructure contractor
17. BGL Contracts Ltd – Electrical contractor
18. SuperBike Factory Group Ltd – Motorbike retailer
19. Torsion Construction Ltd – Building company

Insolvencies during Q2 2026

There were 5,773 insolvencies in England and Wales in the second quarter of 2026. This was an increase of 2.3% compared to the previous quarter and a decrease of 8.9% from the same period last year.