Peterborough, NH – This afternoon, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) hosted a roundtable discussion at New Hampshire Ball Bearings where she called for the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, which is currently scheduled to expire at the end of June. Kuster was joined at the roundtable by local business leaders whose operations would be negatively impacted if the Export-Import Bank is not reauthorized, as well as the Chief of Staff of the Export-Import Bank, who traveled to New Hampshire in order to participate in the roundtable and discuss the importance of the Bank to New Hampshire’s economy.

“Every year, the Export-Import Bank supports local New Hampshire businesses and helps boost their ability to create jobs and hire more workers. What’s more, the Bank is actually responsible for generating a return on investment for American taxpayers,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. “It’s time to permanently reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, so our local businesses can continue to ‘make it in America’ and sell our goods overseas, boosting our country’s bottom line. I thank all the local business leaders who joined us during today’s roundtable for highlighting the importance of the Export-Import Bank to their success. I will take their stories back with me to Washington, where I will urge my colleagues to immediately vote for reauthorization of the Bank’s charter.”

“There are millions of potential customers around the globe that want to buy made-in-America and made-in-New Hampshire products,” said Scott Schloegel, Chief of Staff, Export-Import Bank.  “The Export-Import Bank is proud to work with small businesses across our country, including many here in New Hampshire, to empower them to reach those customers, expand their exports, and create more jobs here at home.  Congresswoman Kuster has been an invaluable ally in helping to inform more New Hampshire businesses exactly how the Export-Import Bank can equip their businesses to grow. ”

“We appreciate the willingness of Congresswoman Annie Kuster and our state’s other representatives to listen to the concerns of NH’s manufacturing industry. One such issue that’s important to businesses such as ours is the Export-Import Bank of the United States,” said NHBB's Executive Vice President, Jim Geary. “We supply products to most major U.S. aerospace companies, many of whom depend on exports to sustain their U.S. manufacturing operations. The loss of the Ex-Im Bank would impair the competitiveness of U.S. exporters and reduce job opportunities for American workers. Therefore, we encourage all of our representatives to support Ex-Im’s long-term reauthorization.”

The Export-Import Bank provides capital and other financial support to help American companies export their goods overseas. The Bank benefits New Hampshire businesses large and small, which employ many workers across the state. In recent years, nearly 40 New Hampshire businesses have directly benefited from Export-Import Bank assistance in exporting their goods, and these businesses have exported over $400 million in exports with the Bank’s support. Without the programs provided by the Export-Import Bank, these New Hampshire businesses would lose out on valuable exporting opportunities, reducing employment opportunities for New Hampshire families. During Thursday’s roundtable, Kuster and local business leaders discussed the impact of the Export-Import Bank on New Hampshire, and called for its immediate reauthorization.

Since taking office, Kuster has prioritized efforts to boost exports and create jobs and opportunity for middle class families in New Hampshire. In 2013, she hosted an Export Forum to bring together local business leaders and representatives from the Export-Import Bank to discuss strategies for boosting international sales for New Hampshire companies. Last year, during the most recent instance in which the Bank’s charter was slated to expire, she convened local business leaders to call on Congress for  reauthorization.  She’s also introduced the Small Business Growth through Exports Act, legislation that would extend and expand the successful State Trade and Export Promotion program (STEP). To date, STEP has helped dozens of Granite State companies expand their exports, create jobs, and grow New Hampshire’s economy.

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