Ex-Im Poised To Request Public Input On Economic Impact Procedures

摘要

The U.S. Export-Import Bank is poised to publish in a matter of weeks a clarification of its procedures for vetting proposed bank transactions for a potential adverse impact on the U.S. economy and seek public comments from stakeholders, Ex-Im Chairman Fred Hochberg said in a Sept. 19 interview with Inside U.S. Trade. Congress in May passed legislation reauthorizing the bank's charter through 2014. That bill also required Ex-lm by the end of November to develop new economic impact analysis guidelines and submit a related report to Congress. The bank's economic impact analysis procedures emerged as a controversial issue during the reauthorization fight, when critics of the bank argued it was failing to live up to its congressional mandate to vet potential transactions for adverse impact on U.S. industry and employment. The new economic impact guidelines will "more clearly clarify policy and procedure so that it is more transparent, and the path forward is more clear for exporters," Hochberg said in the interview. "But before we can do any of that, we're going to be publishing it [in the Federal Register] and also going out for public comments ... [because] we want to make sure this works for industry and works for American companies." The bank will also be creating a panel of "outside experts" to provide some perspective on the economic impact analysis guidelines, according to Hochberg.