Export-Import Bank of the U.S. Chair Lewis Addresses Global Export Finance Symposium in Switzerland

Chair Lewis Signed MOU with Qatar Development Bank, Met with Industry Leaders and Banking Sector Representatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 19, 2024

St. Gallen, Switzerland - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis traveled to St. Gallen, Switzerland to participate in the annual IfTI Global Symposium hosted by Professor Andreas Klasen on September 4-5. While in Switzerland, Chair Lewis also held a series of meetings with heads of global export credit agencies (ECAs), as well as banking sector representatives and private industry stakeholders to discuss EXIM's commitment to advancing global export finance.

"EXIM is committed to deepening our relationships with our global agency partners to further solidify our standing as key players in the global export trade landscape," said Chair Lewis. "It was a pleasure to reaffirm EXIM's commitment to reinforcing its footprint in the export credit landscape as we work tirelessly to support the American exporter."

On Wednesday, Chair Lewis participated in a panel alongside other ECA heads Mairead Lavery, CEO of Export Development Canada, Peter Gisler, CEO of Swiss Export Risk Insurance (SERV), Edna Schöne, Member of the Board, Euler Hermes, and Tim Reid, CEO of UK Export Finance (UKEF) to discuss the state of international trade.

Chair Lewis also held a series of meetings with banking sector representatives, where they discussed opportunities to collaborate in support of U.S. exporters. Following the meetings, Chair Lewis signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Qatar Development Bank in support of future collaboration and to enhance mutual economic cooperation in the climate and energy security sectors to advance the global effort on climate change.

On Thursday, Chair Lewis held additional meetings with industry stakeholders and ECA representatives, including Dr. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of Afreximbank, Raja Al Mazrouei, CEO of ECI, Anna-Karin Jatko, Director General of EKN, Antonio Fernandez-Martez of DG Trade and Janusz Wladyczak. During the meetings, Chair Lewis reemphasized the role EXIM financing can play in supporting mutually beneficial projects while underscoring various EXIM mandates and priorities.

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. Learn more at www.exim.gov.

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