Introduction 2004 was a favourable year for the factoring industry in Germany. After a good performance in 2003, total turnover increased by a further 30%, from 10 billion to 45 billion. Domestic factoring increased by 31% to 35.4 billion, export factoring by 21.6% to 8.6 billion and import factoring by 47.9% to 1.3 billion. More companies are now considering factoring as a financing alternative due to tighter regulation of banks, which has led to a change in the credit policies of the major Ger