Sovereign Risk for International Payment

Sovereign risk is the extra dimension of risk involved in international, as distinct from domestic, transactions. Sovereign risk is an aspect of the credit proposal that is additional to the usual commercial risks such as credit, foreign exchange and transport risks, and is outside the individual borrower's control; it can override the borrower's willingness and ability to repay financial obligations, even though the borrower may be a government. Sovereign risk implies the possibility that conditions will develop in a country which inhibit repayment of funds due from that country, such as exchange controls, strikes or declarations of war.