Atradius Trade Credit Insurance Receives A (Excellent) Rating From A.M. Best

    BALTIMORE, Nov. 6 /CNW/ -- A.M. Best Co. has assigned a financial
strength rating of A (Excellent) and an issuer credit rating of "a" to
Atradius Trade Credit Insurance Inc., the U.S. arm of the Atradius Group. The
outlook for both ratings is stable.
    According to an announcement today by A.M. Best, the ratings reflect
Atradius' strong capitalization, conservative leverage, consistently
profitable operating results, the expertise of the management team within the
trade credit field and the strong risk management culture at all levels of the
company's operations.
    Brett Halsey, Regional Director, Atradius Trade Credit Insurance Inc.,
said the new ratings send a particularly strong message given the
exceptionally turbulent global economy. "That A.M. Best has assigned such
strong ratings to us in today's economic climate is, I think, a powerful
commentary on the strength and reliability of Atradius Trade Credit Insurance.
We're extremely pleased and proud."
    The rating outlook reflects A.M. Best's expectation that Atradius Trade
Credit Insurance will continue to grow profitably through prudent expansion
and capital growth.About Atradius:The Atradius Group provides trade credit insurance, surety and
collections services worldwide, and has a presence in 40 countries. Atradius
aims to protect its customers against unexpected losses resulting from their
buyers being unable to pay for the customer's products and services. With a 31
percent share of the global trade credit insurance market, its products
contribute to the growth of companies throughout the world by protecting them
from payment risks associated with selling products and services on credit.
With 160 offices, it has access to credit information on 52 million companies
worldwide and makes more than 22,000 trade credit limit decisions daily.Further information:
     Atradius Corporate Communications
     Kathy Farley
     Tel.: [phone]
     E-Mail: [e-mail]
     http://www.atradius.us
    About A.M. Best CompanyFounded in 1899, A.M. Best Company is a global full-service credit rating
organization dedicated to serving the financial and health care service
industries, including insurance companies, banks, hospitals and health care
system providers. For Best's Ratings, an overview of the rating process and
rating methodologies, please visit http://www.ambest.com/ratings.For more information, visit http://www.ambest.com.

For further information: Kathy Farley, Atradius Corporate
Communications, [phone], [e-mail] Web Site:
http://www.atradius.us                 http://www.ambest.com