NASHUA, NH – As part of her commitment to creating jobs and opportunity for Granite State families, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined with local New Hampshire business owners and leaders at BAE Systems in Nashua to call for the reauthorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, which is set to expire at the end of September. Many New Hampshire businesses rely on support from the Bank in order to create jobs for Granite State workers, so reauthorization is important to the state’s economic success.

The Export-Import Bank provides risk protection, capital, and other support to help American companies export their goods overseas. In recent years, the Export-Import Bank has supported over $350 million in exports from New Hampshire companies. During Kuster’s roundtable discussion, she heard from over a dozen New Hampshire business leaders who count on the Bank to support their exporting efforts. These leaders emphasized the importance of reauthorizing the Bank, which helps bolster their own job creation efforts and greatly contributes to the state’s economy.

“The U.S. Export-Import Bank provides crucial support for dozens of New Hampshire businesses that rely on it for their success,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “As evident from the stories we heard from our local business leaders during our discussion, Congress must act to immediately reauthorize the Bank. Without it, these businesses will lose crucial support for exporting their goods, which will hurt their job creation efforts and negatively impact our state’s economy. I look forward to sharing the stories I heard from these business leaders with my colleagues in Congress, and I urge the House to immediately reauthorize this program which is so vital to our state’s businesses.”

“The Export-Import Bank provides small businesses like The Mountain with the opportunity to invest in overseas exports more confidently. Ex-Im serves as a silent but vital marketing tool, giving our company both support and credibility,” said Kirianna Howard, Director of International Sales & Exports at The Mountain Corporation.

Without the programs provided by the Export-Import Bank, many New Hampshire businesses would lose out on valuable exporting opportunities, reducing employment opportunities for New Hampshire families. Kuster has made creating jobs and opportunity for Granite Staters her number one priority since taking office, and she believes we cannot put the livelihood of our workers at risk by failing to reauthorize an exporting program on which so many New Hampshire businesses rely.

A member of the U.S. House Small Business Committee, Kuster has prioritized efforts to boost exports and create jobs and opportunity for middle class families in New Hampshire. Earlier this year, 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 NH companies. 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.

###