EX-IM BANK SUPPORTS U.S. EXPORTS TO EL SALVADOR AND MEXICO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2003
Media Contact Name/Phone
Linda Formella (202) 565-3200

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized medium-term financing to support a variety of U.S. equipment exports to El Salvador and Mexico. Approved transactions are:

EL SALVADOR - Ex-Im Bank approved a $1.47 million comprehensive medium-term insurance policy for The Hemisphere National Bank in Miami, Fla., to support the sale of new heavy construction equipment, including bulldozers, loaders and excavators, by Hoffman International Inc. in Piscataway, N.J., to a private sector buyer in El Salvador. The buyer is Empresas Ortez Campos Gonzalez Constructores S.A. de C.V., T/A O.C.G. Constructores S.A. de C.V. of San Miguel, El Salvador. The U.S. suppliers are Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria, Ill., and Case LLC of Racine, Wis. The broker is International Risk Consultants of Columbus, Ohio.

MEXICO - The Bank approved a $5.39 million comprehensive medium-term insurance policy for BNP Paribas of New York, N.Y., to support the sale of a mainstream 80 Heidelberg printing press system by Heidelberg Web Systems Inc. of Dover, N.H., to El Universal Cia. Periodistica Nacional S.A. de C.V. of Mexico, D.F., Mexico. The buyer, the publisher of El Universal (a leading Mexican national daily newspaper), will use this high-performance press system to expand its printing capacity significantly. The broker is EIA Global of Walpole, Mass.

MEXICO - The Bank approved a $1.18 million comprehensive medium-term guarantee to support the sale of poultry feeder and incubation equipment by two U.S. companies to Avicola y Ganadera de Jalisco S.A. de C.V. of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The U.S. exporters and suppliers are a small business, Chick Master International Inc. of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and Agile Manufacturing Inc. of Anderson, Mo. The guaranteed lender is Toronto-Dominion Bank of Houston, Texas.

Ex-Im Bank is the official export credit agency of the United States that helps to finance the sales of U.S. exports, primarily to developing markets, by providing guarantees, export credit insurance and loans. In fiscal year 2002, Ex-Im Bank authorized financing to support nearly $13 billion of U.S. exports.