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WASHINGTON -Today former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp and U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo were among the prominent government and business leaders who addressed the more than 1,300 registered participants of the 2021 Annual Conference of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), being held virtually September 21-23.

Heitkamp, who currently serves as Chair of EXIM's 2021-2022 Advisory Committee, opened the second day of EXIM's annual conference with welcoming remarks focused on the importance of a strong U.S. export credit agency to meet the challenges that U.S. exporters-particularly small businesses-face in the current economy and the global marketplace.

 "I've seen firsthand the impact EXIM has and the unique and unmatched value the agency brings to thousands of U.S. companies. The stakes for EXIM and all the federal agencies that support American businesses and investments around the world are high, and this is a critical time to meet the challenge of this moment. America's exporters depend on strong export credit products, and I am excited for what this new chapter at EXIM will bring," Heitkamp said.

The day's first plenary session featured a conversation entitled "American Economic Leadership" between U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and David Clunie, Executive Director of the Black Economic Alliance. Adeyemo discussed the Biden-Harris Administration's focus on infrastructure development to maintain U.S. competitiveness.

"We know that in order for America to be a good trading partner with countries throughout the world, we want to be put in a place where the American economy is growing as fast and as sustainable as possible, and that's why we're making these investments in infrastructure and in human capital that will put America in a place where we can compete with any country in the world," said Adeyemo.

The second plenary session featured a discussion on how federal agencies work together to support climate-related projects and the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative, moderated by Liz Schrayer, President and CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Panelists were EXIM Acting President and Chair James Burrows; Mahmoud Bah, Acting Chief Executive, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC); Enoh T. Ebong, Acting Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA); and David Marchick, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

"All of our agencies are working to advance sustainable development," said EXIM Acting President and Chair James Burrows. "It's more important than ever that all of us as interagency partners work collectively to ensure that our exporters know what benefits are available to them at our independent agencies."

Today's events also included interactive discussions among EXIM staff and conference participants covering the African trade ecosystem and finance, medium-term financing, and trends in overseas healthcare infrastructure, which was sponsored by USA Healthcare Alliance. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted a discussion among minority-owned business owners who shared their experiences of how exporting has had a positive impact on their companies' growth.

The focus of this year's EXIM Annual Conference is "Building Back Together." Throughout the conference, speakers and panel participants are sharing perspectives and guidance on how trade, exports, and sound economic policy can help America's economy and communities across the country build back stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 more than $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of U.S. debt. Learn more at www.exim.gov.