Business

Questions and Answers About the Expiring Export-Import Bank

Published

10 years ago

June 30, 2015

Secretary of State John Kerry addresses a gathering of the Export-Import Bank at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel in Washington, Thursday, April 24, 2014. (AP Photo)

ERICA WERNER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Export-Import Bank expires Tuesday at midnight for the first time since the small federal agency was created during the Depression to help U.S. businesses export their products. Congress failed to renew the bank’s charter because of opposition from Republicans who say it amounts to corporate welfare. However, the shutdown may end up being only temporary.

Some questions and answers about the Export-Import Bank, and its future:

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Q: What does the Export-Import Bank do?

A: The federal Export-Import Bank’s principal role is to guarantee commercial bank loans made to foreign businesses and governments to buy U.S. products. That means U.S. taxpayers would pick up the tab if, say, a company in South America defaulted on a commercial bank loan it got to buy a Caterpillar tractor.

The Export-Import Bank also makes direct loans and provides export credit insurance to protect against losses to companies from non-repayment of loans.

The bank says that last year it authorized $20 billion worth of transactions which supported $27.5 billion of U.S. exports and 164,000 U.S. jobs. And it says it has a default rate of less than 1 percent.

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Q: Why is the Export-Import Bank needed?

A: That’s the question at the heart of the current debate in Congress.

Opponents, including conservative lawmakers, groups like the Heritage Foundation and the GOP’s presidential candidates, say it isn’t needed at all. They point out that the vast majority of U.S. exporting is conducted without government support. They argue that the Export-Import Bank primarily supports big businesses that don’t really need the help, such as Boeing and GE. And they say the bank amounts to “crony capitalism” and the government picking winners and losers.

“Where is the fairness in giving Washington politicians and bureaucrats the power to pick who gets helped and who gets hurt?” asked GOP Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and a leading opponent of the bank.

But supporters like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers say the Export-Import Bank plays a critical role in stepping in where commercial lenders can’t. Government backing can be needed because of the huge amounts of money involved in big purchases such as aircraft, or to help U.S. companies protect against the risk of default from a little-known buyer in a foreign country.

Supporters also note that foreign competitors such as China have foreign credit agencies more generous than the Export-Import Bank, and so U.S. businesses would be at a competitive disadvantage without it.

“We ought to reauthorize the bank and provide certainty to businesses and their workers who depend on it to level the playing field against foreign competitors,” said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

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Q: Whom does the Export-Import Bank help?

A: Opponents argue that the bank primarily helps big businesses — and that is true if you measure its spending in dollars. Of the $20.5 billion in financing and insurance authorized by the bank in 2014, just over $5 billion of that was for small business exporters, according to bank officials.

However, supporters note that if you count the number of transactions, many more small businesses are helped than big ones. It’s just that the amounts spent on them are much smaller.

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Q: What will happen when the Export-Import Bank’s charter expires?

A: The bank will lose its ability to make new loans when its charter expires Tuesday at midnight. However, it will stay in business to service outstanding loans. Supporters warn that even a short-term shutdown could disrupt some deals that are in the pipeline, but any impacts would likely go unnoticed by the vast majority of the public.

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Q: Why is Congress letting the Export-Import Bank’s charter expire, and will lawmakers revive it?

A: Congress has renewed the Export-Import Bank’s charter on a bipartisan basis with little controversy over the years. But recently, the obscure agency has become something of a conservative purity test, with tea party-backed lawmakers and groups attacking it and rallying fellow Republicans to defy the business community and turn against it. That’s caused leading Republicans who once supported the bank, such as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to oppose it. The GOP’s presidential candidates also have lined up against it. Amid that opposition, it was easier for congressional leaders to let the bank expire than to try to take action to renew it.

However, lawmakers of both parties say the bank commands enough support to pass Congress, and it looks like it could do just that in July. Supporters plan to try to attach it to must-pass highway legislation in the Senate, which could also get it through the House.

“Looks to me like they have the votes, and I’m going to give them the opportunity,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told The Associated Press on Monday.

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Associated Press writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

Published

2 days ago

December 26, 2024

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Glydways Breaking Ground on 14-Acre Demonstration Facility at Hilltop Mall

Glydways has been testing its technology at CCTA’s GoMentum Station in Concord for several years. The company plans to install an ambitious 28-mile Autonomous Transit Network in East Contra Costa County. The new Richmond facility will be strategically positioned near that project, according to Glydways.

Published

4 days ago

December 24, 2024

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Image of planned Richmond facility courtesy of Glydways.

The Richmond Standard

Glydways, developer of microtransit systems using autonomous, small-scale vehicles, is breaking ground on a 14-acre Development and Demonstration Facility at the former Hilltop Mall property in Richmond, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) reported on social media.

Glydways, which released a statement announcing the project Monday, is using the site while the mall property undergoes a larger redevelopment.

“In the interim, Glydways will use a portion of the property to showcase its technology and conduct safety and reliability testing,” the company said.

The new Richmond development hub will include “over a mile of dedicated test track, enabling Glydways to refine its solutions in a controlled environment while simulating real-world conditions,” the company said.

Visitors to the facility will be able to experience on-demand travel, explore the control center and visit a showroom featuring virtual reality demonstrations of Glydways projects worldwide.

The hub will also house a 13,000-square-foot maintenance and storage facility to service the growing fleet of Glydcars.

“With this new facility [at the former Hilltop Mall property], we’re giving the public a glimpse of the future, where people can experience ultra-quiet, on-demand transit—just like hailing a rideshare, but with the reliability and affordability of public transit,” said Tim Haile, executive director of CCTA.

Janet Galvez, vice president and investment officer at Prologis, owner of the Hilltop Mall property, said her company is “thrilled” to provide space for Glydways and is continuing to work with the city on future redevelopment plans for the broader mall property.

Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl added that Glydways’ presence “will not only help test new transit solutions but also activate the former Mall site while preparation and finalization of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan is underway.

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2024 in Review: 7 Questions for Outgoing Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln

Lincoln’s decision to run for mayor stemmed from his love of people and his desire to serve his city. He prioritized resolving issues, including homelessness and public safety, among others. Lincoln, a Republican, will transition out of his role as mayor on Dec. 31, after an unsuccessful campaign to represent the 9th Congressional District.

Published

4 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln. Photo provided by California Black Media.

Kevin Lincoln, outgoing mayor of Stockton, CA, captured during his tenure as a leader dedicated to the city’s progress and community engagement.

By Edward Henderson
California Black Media

Born in Stockton, Mayor Kevin Lincoln says his Army upbringing inspired him to serve others.

Lincoln joined the United States Marine Corps in 2001 and was later assigned to Marine One, serving during President George W. Bush’s administration.

Following his military service, Lincoln worked for one of the nation’s top private security companies for eight years in Silicon Valley. In 2013, he resigned from his corporate position to give back to his community in Stockton through full-time ministry at a local church.

Lincoln’s decision to run for mayor stemmed from his love of people and his desire to serve his city. He prioritized resolving issues, including homelessness and public safety, among others.

Lincoln, a Republican, will transition out of his role as mayor on Dec. 31, after an unsuccessful campaign to represent the 9^th Congressional District.

Recently, California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Lincoln. He reflected on his accomplishments this year and his goals moving forward.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

What I prioritize for our city council is our youth. They are the future — not only our city, but this region as a whole.

We were able to invest over $6 million in youth programming and workforce development, and partner with 14 different community-based organizations. We were able to employ over 600 young people through the city of Stockton. We launched even our first ever summer jobs program for the city of Stockton.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

It’s about giving people a seat at the table, and not necessarily waiting for people to come to me, but me going to the community, making myself accessible, meeting our community at the point of their need, where they’re at.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

It’s politics. Because unfortunately, there’s politics in everything. And I say politics impedes progress. You can have a policy, a solution that may not necessarily be 100% perfect. But it’s a good solution for everybody. But because we allow politics to get in the way based off our personal ideologies, oftentimes we can miss opportunities to make an impact for the benefit of the whole.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

My biggest inspiration has been the community and our ability to work together. What’s unique about Stockton, one in 20 jobs are nonprofit jobs in the city of Stockton and even San Joaquin County.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

To stay focused. In politics, there’s a lot of opportunity for distractions. There are a lot of influences from the outside — good, bad and indifferent. It’s important to stay focused, have a clear vision, and be committed to that vision.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Economics. When the economy is not healthy, when we’re not thriving, we’re limited. Opportunities are limited.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I just want to continue to be a servant leader and serve our community in whatever capacity I am in.