News

Long Island, New York — Today, Long Island businesses were told how they can successfully grow their sales and their businesses by selling their products around the world instead of focusing on just selling around the corner. Representative Steve Israel (D-NY-2) and Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred P. Hochberg hosted an exporter forum for local small businesses at the Long Island Association. More than 75 representatives from local companies attended the event, which focused on how American companies can gain a competitive edge when exporting their products overseas. Long Island small businesses also received one-on-one trade counseling from Export-Import Bank experts.

Long Island small businesses should be aware of the enormous consumer base that exists beyond our national borders and take advantage of it when selling their products, Rep. Israel. I invited Chairman Hochberg to Long Island so our local businesses could learn about the resources available to them to help increase their exports and grow the economy in Long Island.

Our nation's small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and it is critical that we give them the tools they need to compete in international markets, said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. Ex-Im Bank will continue to host Global Access forums throughout the country so we can provide businesses with the resources they need to expand globally and reach the President's goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015.

Chairman Hochberg gave an overview of Export-Import Bank's Global Access for Small-Business initiative, aimed at increasing the number of small businesses across the United States that export goods and services produced by U.S. workers. This is an integral part of the President's National Export Initiative (NEI), led by the Commerce Department, to double U.S. exports by 2015.

Since 2009, Ex-Im Bank has authorized $80 million for Long Island businesses and supported approximately $515 million in export sales.

Small-business owners who missed the Global Access forum can still learn how Ex-Im Bank can enable them to generate new export sales by contacting the Bank's Regional Export Finance Center at (212) 809-2650, or by calling toll-free to 1-800-565-EXIM (3946). Ex-Im Bank offers information specifically designed to assist small-business exporters secure export financing on its website at http://www.exim.gov/smallbusiness/.

Global Access is supported by a wide variety of business, financial and government partners, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and the Bank's 60-plus city/state partners located throughout the U.S. This year, Export-Import Bank plans to hold more than 40 Global Access forums around the country.

About Ex-Im Bank:

Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. In the past five years, Ex-Im Bank has earned for U.S. taxpayers $1.9 billion above the cost of operations. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees, export-credit insurance and financing to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.

Ex-Im Bank approved $32.7 billion in total authorizations in FY 2011 — an all-time Ex-Im record. This total includes more than $6 billion directly supporting small-business export sales — also an Ex-Im record. Ex-Im Bank's total authorizations are supporting an estimated $41 billion in U.S. export sales and approximately 290,000 American jobs in communities across the country. For more information, visit www.exim.gov.