Director Owen Herrnstadt in Seattle and Olympia to Highlight EXIM’s Make More in America Initiative
Seattle, Washington – Last week, Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Member of the Board of Directors Owen Herrnstadt traveled to Seattle and Olympia, Washington to meet with state and local leaders, private sector companies, and organized labor local leadership to highlight EXIM’s domestic manufacturing finance program, the Make More in America (MMIA) initiative. The trip occurred as President Biden issued a proclamation naming July 23-29 Made in America Week.
“Rebuilding our manufacturing base by bringing more of our supply chains home is vital to our national and economic security, and EXIM financing can play a key role in achieving this goal by supporting U.S. exporters and U.S. workers,” said Director Owen Herrnstadt. “These meetings presented us with important opportunities to raise awareness of EXIM’s tools and listen to valuable insights from private sector companies, organized labor representatives and state and local leaders about ways EXIM can strengthen domestic manufacturing and increase good-paying jobs in the U.S.”
On Tuesday, Director Herrnstadt began his trip to Washington with a tour of the Port of Tacoma, after which he held a discussion with NorthWest Port Alliance CEO John Wolfe about the port’s exporting history, and current efforts to modernize the Port’s operations to strengthen business opportunities for U.S. exporters.
On Wednesday, Director Herrnstadt took a tour of Pacific Tools Inc., a local Seattle area supplier that is part of the Boeing supply chain. He later held a discussion on the company’s experience with EXIM financing and how the Make More in America initiative could provide additional exporting support to the company’s current operations. Director Herrnstadt also met with District 751 leadership of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, where he discussed how EXIM’s new domestic manufacturing financing initiative can support good paying jobs in Washington state.
On Thursday, Director Herrnstadt held a meeting with representatives from the City of Seattle’s Economic Development and Intergovernmental Affairs departments. Then, in Olympia, Director Herrnstadt joined representatives from state government agencies and trade associations for a roundtable discussion hosted by Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, where they discussed ways EXIM financing can support good paying jobs generated by Washington companies looking to export goods and services overseas.
ABOUT EXIM:
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the nation’s official export credit agency with the mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. To advance American competitiveness and assist U.S. businesses as they compete for global sales, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance, working capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans. As an independent federal agency, EXIM contributes to U.S. economic growth by supporting tens of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. Since 1992, EXIM has generated about $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of overall U.S. debt. Learn more at www.exim.gov.