EXIM Chairman Kimberly Meets Via Teleconferencing With US Envoy

By Emmanuel Oluebube(Correspondent,UK)

President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Kimberly A. Reed  has met via teleconference with US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture Ambassador Kip Tom to address the topic of food security, which remains a very important issue as the United States and world respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

During the meeting, Chairman Reed and Ambassador Tom discussed how EXIM can help America’s farmers, ranchers, agriculture technology and equipment manufacturers, and related agribusiness supply chains export their high-quality goods and services around the world while also supporting US jobs at home.

Chairman Reed also highlighted EXIM’s historic seven-year reauthorization, which directs EXIM to establish a new Programme on China and Transformational Exports. The programme is intended to help level the playing field for US exporters and workers by directly neutralizing export subsidies for competing goods and services offered by the People’s Republic of China. The programme also focuses on supporting US innovation, employment, and technological standards globally in ten transformational export industries, including those important to agriculture and feeding a growing planet such as biotechnology, biomedical sciences, water treatment and sanitation, wireless communications, and other innovative industry exports.

Noting that more than half of global population growth between now and 2050 is expected to occur in Africa and the population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double during that time, EXIM’s Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee met in February to discuss how EXIM can support critical industries, including agriculture, in the region.

The headquarters of both the US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are located in Rome, Italy. On April 10, 2020, President Donald J. Trump issued a Memorandum on Providing COVID-19 Assistance to the Italian Republic. As directed in the memorandum, the President of EXIM “may use available authorities to support the recovery of the Italian economy” and afterward, EXIM President and Chairman Reed stated that “EXIM stands ready to provide financing tools to support transactions that benefit our American exporters and workers while also helping Italy, one of our closest and oldest Allies, as they address the impact of COVID-19. The United States is a nation of generosity and compassion, and EXIM stands ready to help the people of Italy who face a long road ahead to economic recovery.”