News

The appointment of William Laraque as a business development officer at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Office in New York City will directly benefit small business exporters seeking access to Ex-Im Bank financing solutions.

Laraque's assignment is to serve exporters in the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island and help them understand and apply for Ex-Im Bank's financing products, including working capital guarantees, export credit insurance, and loan guarantees for foreign buyers of U.S. goods.

Small businesses in this region will find it much easier to take advantage of what Ex-Im Bank has to offer now that I can deal with them personally on a full-time basis, Laraque said.

Laraque has spent more than 25 years leading international business development teams for such banks as Chemical Bank, Fleet Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC/Marine Midland. He also was a small business exporter for seven years, selling bicycles and bicycle accessories to some 32 countries. He is experienced in freight forwarding. In addition, Laraque is an adjunct professor of International Business at Hofstra University.

Exporters, lenders and brokers wishing to contact Laraque may call (212) 809-2651.

Ex-Im Bank this year marks its 72nd year of helping finance the sale of U.S. exports, primarily to emerging markets throughout the world, by providing loan guarantees, export credit insurance, and direct loans. In fiscal year 2005 Ex-Im Bank authorized nearly $14 billion in transactions supporting almost $17.9 billion in U.S. exports.More than $2.6 billion of the authorizations, or 2,617 transactions, directly supported U.S. small businesses as primary exporters.