Chair Lewis Reaffirms Export-Import Bank of the U.S.’ Commitment to Supporting Investment in Africa at AGOA Forum in Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa – Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis recently traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa as part of the U.S. delegation, led by U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai and Commerce Department Deputy Secretary Don Graves, to the 2023 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum from November 2-4. During the forum, Chair Lewis spoke about EXIM’s congressional mandate to support U.S. exporters looking to do business in sub-Saharan Africa and emphasized the agency’s deep commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Africa economic partnership. Last fiscal year, EXIM authorized an estimated $1.6 billion worth of transactions in sub-Saharan Africa.
“EXIM’s deep commitment to sub-Saharan Africa is written in our founding charter, and we are firmly committed to financing U.S. exporters, large and small, doing business with African nations,” said EXIM President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis. “It was a pleasure to join my colleagues at AGOA to share some of our strong work on the continent and express our strong desire to continue advancing transactions that support U.S. exporters and promote economic prosperity for the U.S. and our partner nations in Africa.”
On November 4, Chair Lewis co-chaired a panel on empowering trade and investment between the U.S. and Africa and delivered remarks to government representatives about women entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. Chair Lewis also attended meetings with Ebrahim Patel, South Africa Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, and Anthony Costa, the Investment Lead in the Private Office of the President of South Africa. This visit marks the fourth time Chair Lewis has traveled to Africa during her tenure as President and Chair of EXIM’s Board of Directors.
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.