Billions in Taiwan funds at risk in Russia, Ukraine

FSC REPORT:
Insurers had the highest risk exposure in Russia at NT$14bn, while banks’ credit risk exposure was NT$5.285bn to Russia and NT$6m to Ukraine

With the possibility of military conflict between Russia and Ukraine rising steeply, coupled with concerns about a potential disruption to the global market, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has conducted an assessment of Taiwan’s risk exposure in banking, insurance and securities in the two countries.

As of the end of December last year, loans from Taiwan’s 38 banks to Russia put their credit risk exposure at a combined NT$5.285 billion (US$189.79 million), while their credit exposure in Ukraine was NT$6 million, the Banking Bureau said.

Taiwanese insurers had no risk exposure in Ukraine, but their risk exposure in Russia was as high as NT$147 billion, the bureau said.

Taiwan has no risk exposure to Russian or Ukrainian securities, but private investors might have risk exposure because of securities and futures acquired through domestic and overseas investment funds, the Securities and Futures Bureau said.

The securities bureau estimated that the risk faced by private investors using domestic funds to invest in Russia totaled NT$21.4 billion, while the risk faced by those using overseas funds was NT$35.4 billion.

The risk exposure for private investors using domestic funds to invest in Ukraine was NT$5.08 billion, while the risk faced by those using overseas funds was NT$15 billion.

Overall, Taiwan had a financial risk of NT$209.085 billion in Russia and NT$20.086 billion in Ukraine, the commission said.