EXIM Chair Lewis, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester Host Exporter Roundtable with World Trade Center Delaware
WILMINGTON – Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis and U.S. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) hosted an exporter roundtable today with Delaware business leaders, state and local government officials, and community trade organizations to discuss the agency’s ongoing efforts to generate new opportunities for U.S. exporters and support more American jobs. The discussions and meetings were convened and co-hosted by World Trade Center Delaware, EXIM’s Regional Export Promotion Program partner in the state.
“It is an honor to be in Delaware, the “First State” alongside Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and the distinguished panel of speakers, business owners and community leaders who joined us for the event,” said EXIM President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis. “We are grateful to World Trade Center Delaware for convening this important discussion. Small- and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy, and EXIM can play a key role in helping Delaware exporters level up and grow. EXIM is open for business, and we are excited to expand our reach and help connect businesses in the region with our financing tools.”
After WTC Delaware President Carla Stone moderated a public conversation between Chair Lewis and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, the two U.S. officials engaged the local media and then participated in a discussion with exporters on challenges and opportunities in leveraging EXIM resources, and ways EXIM’s financing tools can be used to help U.S. businesses compete and win in international markets.
Since FY 2014, EXIM has provided $15 million in financing to Delaware exporters. During the visit, Chair Lewis highlighted the Make More in America Initiative, a tool designed to unlock financing opportunities for U.S. exporters — including small businesses — that will increase their global competitiveness and support American jobs.The initiative, which was passed by the Board of Directors last April, makes EXIM’s existing medium- and long-term loans, loan guarantees, and insurance available for export-oriented domestic manufacturing projects as part of a whole-of-government effort to strengthen America’s supply chains.
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.
###