Export-Import Bank of the U.S. Chair Lewis Joins Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker to Highlight How EXIM’s Support for Small Businesses Like Bassetts Ice Cream Company Help[...]

Washington, D.C. - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis travelled to Philadelphia on October 21 to highlight EXIM's historic support for small businesses in Pennsylvania and underscore how the agency's financing tools equip small businesses with the tools necessary to export in the global marketplace.

"Over the last decade, EXIM has supported over 150 small businesses across the Keystone State, helping them to build local jobs by expanding into international markets," said Chair Lewis. "Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and EXIM is committed to leveraging our financing tools to help them win the future by exporting at the global level."

Chair Lewis first met with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Alex Bassett Strange, President of Bassetts Ice Cream Company and great-great-great grandson of the company's founder, to highlight EXIM's support for small businesses and exports in the Keystone State. Bassetts Ice Cream Company, the oldest ice cream company in the U.S. is a sixth-generation family business that has been operating in the iconic Reading Terminal Market since it opened in 1893. In 2009, Bassetts Ice Cream Company began exporting with the support of EXIM's short-term credit insurance program. Since then, the company has been shipping to buyers across Asia with total shipment insured by EXIM exceeding $6 million.

Chair Lewis also participated in a roundtable with private sector leaders from the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, where she underscored how EXIM's Make More in America initiative strengthens manufacturing and innovation in Pennsylvania. Chair Lewis also discussed how over the last 10 years, EXIM has provided over $4 billion in support for nearly 230 Pennsylvania companies, including over 150 small businesses, allowing them to achieve over $9 billion in exports.

ABOUT EXIM:

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the nation's official export credit agency with the mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. To advance American competitiveness and assist U.S. businesses as they compete for global sales, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance, working capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans. As an independent federal agency, EXIM contributes to U.S. economic growth by supporting tens of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. Learn more at www.exim.gov.

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