Chair Lewis Discusses Export-Import Bank of the U.S. Priorities During Minerals Security Partnership Event in London

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2023
Media Contact Name/Phone
Office of Communications (202-730-6639/202-469-1550)

London, England – Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis joined high-level participants, government officials and private sector representatives in London on Tuesday for a series of discussions focused on critical minerals and the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). During the event, Chair Lewis highlighted EXIM’s priorities in the critical minerals sector and discussed the agency’s commitment and work to advance key critical minerals projects and build resilient and secure supply chains.

“Critical minerals are a crucial part of the global energy transition, and EXIM is committed to doing our part to support U.S. exporters and manufacturers looking to advance projects in this sector,” said EXIM President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis. “As momentum grows to build a diversified battery supply chain, our agency is witnessing a growing pipeline of potential applications for EXIM financing of critical minerals projects across the supply chain. We are eager to see projects come to fruition with support from EXIM’s financing tools.”

The discussion in London built on last year’s meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where Chair Lewis participated in a multilateral discussion alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez with 20 partner nations on the MSP. Events also built on a roundtable discussion held last month on the sidelines of this year’s United Nations General Assembly hosted by Under Secretary Fernandez and the non-profit SAFE.

EXIM has the ability to finance critical minerals projects both abroad and in the United States through the agency’s Make More in America initiative (MMIA), which provides term financing for domestic manufacturing projects. In August, EXIM Bank approved its first transaction under MMIA, a $4.7 million loan to Aquatech, a small, minority-owned, business in Pennsylvania, which will allow the company to compete to win significant contracts supplying foreign and domestic lithium extraction projects.

Group at a conference

 

Group photo with Chair Lewis

 

Group photo with Chair Lewis

 

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.