          
          
                              EXPORT FINANCING
          
          Export-Import Bank of the United States
          
          The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Eximbank) can 
          provide export financing assistance to American companies 
          through the following programs:
          
          Working Capital Guarantee Program:  This program helps 
          small businesses obtain critical pre-export financing from 
          commercial lenders.  Eximbank will guarantee 90 percent of 
          principal and a limited amount of interest on loans or 
          revolving lines of credit extended to eligible exporters.  
          The funds may be used for such pre-export activities as 
          buying raw materials or foreign marketing.  For more 
          information, contact the U.S. Division at (202) 566-8819.
          
          Export Credit Insurance:  Through its agent, the Foreign 
          Credit Insurance Association, Eximbank offers insurance 
          which covers political and commercial risks on export 
          receivables.  For more information, contact the Insurance 
          Division at (202) 566-8955.
          
          (1) The New-to-Export Policy is available to firms just 
              beginning to export or with average annual export sales 
              of less than $750,000 for the past two years.  The 
              policy offers enhanced coverage and a lower premium 
              than usually found in regular insurance policies.
          
          (2) The Umbrella Policy is available to commercial lenders, 
              state agencies, export trading companies, and similar 
              organizations to insure export receivables of their 
              small and medium-sized clients.
          
          (3) The Bank Letter of Credit Policy insures commercial 
              banks against loss on irrevocable letters of credit 
              issued by foreign banks for U.S.  exporters.
          
          (4) The Multi-Buyer Policy insures all or a reasonable 
              spread of an exporter's short- or medium-term export 
              credit sales.
          
          (5) The Financial Institution Buyer Credit Policy insures 
              individual short-term export credits extended by 
              financial institutions to foreign buyers.
          
          (6) The Short-Term Single-Buyer Policy and the Medium-Term 
              Single-Buyer Policy allow exporters to insure their 
              receivables against loss due to commercial and 
              specified political risks on a selective basis.
          
          (7) Lease Insurance Policies offer a lessor the opportunity 
              to expand its overseas leasing program by providing 
              comprehensive insurance for both the stream of lease 
              payments and the fair market value of the leased 
              products.
          
          Guarantee Program:  This program provides repayment 
          protection for private sector loans to creditworthy buyers 
          of U.S. capital equipment and services exports.  Coverage 
          is available for loans of up to 85 percent of the U.S.  
          export value, with repayment terms of one year or more.  
          Eximbank's guarantee is available for fixed or floating 
          rate export loans in U.S.  dollars or convertible foreign 
          currencies.  For more information, contact the Export 
          Finance Group at (202) 566-8187.
          
          Loan Program:  This program provides competitive, fixed 
          interest rate financing for U.S. export sales facing 
          foreign competition backed by subsidized financing.  
          Eximbank extends direct loans to foreign buyers of U.S. 
          exports and intermediary loans to responsible parties that 
          make loans to foreign buyers.  Coverage is available for 
          loans of up to 85 percent of the U.S. export value.  The 
          interest rates are the official minimum matrix rates agreed 
          on by members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation 
          and Development (OECD) and depend on the repayment period 
          and the classification of the buyer's country.  For more 
          information, contact the Export Finance Group at (202) 
          566-8187.
          
          Engineering Multiplier Program:  This program stimulates 
          the exports of U.S.  architectural, industrial design, and 
          engineering services.  Eximbank will extend loans or 
          guarantees up to 85 percent of the U.S. export value of 
          services involving projects with the potential of 
          generating U.S. export orders of $10 million or double the 
          original export contract, whichever is greater.  It also 
          will guarantee commercial financing for approved 
          project-related costs in the host country of up to 15 
          percent of the U.S.  export value.  For more information, 
          contact the Engineering Division at (202) 566-8802.
          
          Operations and Maintenance Contracts Program:  This program 
          helps U.S. firms compete for overseas contracts to operate 
          and maintain new or established projects.  Eximbank will 
          provide loans or guarantees for up to 85 percent of the 
          U.S. export value of operations and maintenance 
          transactions with repayment terms of up to five years.  The 
          contract must provide a long-term benefit to the owner, 
          such as training local personnel to take over the operation 
          or establishment of permanent procedures to assure good 
          operation of the project.  For more information, contact 
          the Engineering Division at (202) 566-8802.
          
          Foreign Credit Insurance Association
          
          The Foreign Credit Insurance Association (FCIA) helps U.S. 
          exporters shipping on short-term credit (up to one year) to 
          be assured of receiving payment while extending appropriate 
          credit terms.  As an agent of Eximbank, it insures U.S. 
          companies against the risk of nonpayment by foreign buyers 
          for commercial and political reasons.  The insurance can 
          cover 90 percent of the commercial risks and 100 percent of 
          the political risks or 95 percent of all risks, a decision 
          that is made by the policyholder.  For more information, 
          contact FCIA at (212) 306-5000.
          
          The Small Business Administration
          
          The Small Business Administration (SBA) can provide export 
          financing assistance to American companies through the 
          following programs:
          
          Export Revolving Line of Credit Program:  This program 
          guarantees loans up to $750,000, the proceeds of which can 
          be used to finance foreign market development or labor and 
          materials needed to manufacture or wholesale for export.  
          The maximum maturity is 18 months.  For more information, 
          contact the Office of Financial Assistance at (202) 
          205-6497.
          
          International Trade Loan Guarantee Program:  This program 
          offers small businesses that can significantly expand 
          existing export markets, develop new export markets, or 
          those adversely affected by import competition, loan 
          guarantees up to $1 million for facilities and equipment 
          and up to $250,000 for working capital.  Maturities of 
          loans may extend up to 25 years.  For more information, 
          contact the Office of Financial Assistance at (202) 
          205-6497.
          
          Small Business Investment Companies:  Licensed by SBA, 
          firms whose investment strategies include export activities 
          may receive equity capital or term working capital in 
          excess of SBA's $750,000 statutory limit.  For more 
          information, contact the Investment Division at (202) 
          205-6734.
          
          Business Loan Guarantee Program:  Financing for fixed-asset 
          acquisition or general working capital purposes may be 
          obtained; the program encourages private lenders to make 
          loans of up to $750,000 to borrowers who could not borrow 
          on reasonable terms without government help.  For more 
          information, contact the Office of Financial Assistance at 
          (202) 205-6490.
          
          The Overseas Private Investment Corporation
          
          The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) can 
          provide export financing assistance to American companies 
          through the following programs:
          
          Finance Programs:  Medium- to long-term financing for 
          overseas investment projects is made available through loan 
          guaranties and direct loans.  Loans generally range up to 
          $6 million and are reserved exclusively for projects 
          significantly involving U.S. small businesses or 
          cooperatives. Guarantees, as large as $50 million, are 
          available for projects sponsored by any U.S.  company 
          regardless of size.  OPIC's financing commitment may range 
          up to 50 percent of total project costs for new ventures 
          and up to 75 percent for expansion of existing successful 
          operations, with final maturities of 5 to 12 years or more.  
          A special small contractor's guarantee program is also 
          available. For more information, contact Public Affairs at 
          (202) 457-7087.
          
          Lease Financing Program:  This program offers loans and 
          guarantees to foreign leasing companies in which there is a 
          significant U.S. private business interest.  Terms of the 
          guarantee are typically from four to seven years.  For more 
          information, contact Public Affairs at (202) 457-7087.
          
          Small Contractor's Guarantee Program:  This program will 
          guarantee an eligible financial institution for up to 75 
          percent of an on-demand standby letter of credit or other 
          form of payment guarantee issued on behalf of a small 
          business construction or service contractor.  For more 
          information, contact Public Affairs at (202) 457-7087.
          
          The U.S. Department of Agriculture
          
          The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can provide 
          export financing assistance to American companies through 
          the following programs:
          
          Export Credit Guarantee Programs:  These programs are 
          designed to expand U.S. agricultural exports by stimulating 
          U.S. bank financing of foreign purchases.  The programs 
          operate in cases where credit is necessary to increase or 
          maintain U.S. exports to a foreign market and where private 
          financial institutions would be unwilling to provide 
          financing without a guarantee.  These programs guarantee 
          letters of credit from foreign financial institutions 
          against default.  For more information, contact the USDA at 
          (202) 720-4221.
          
          Market Promotion Program:  Authorized by the Food, 
          Agricultural, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 and 
          administered by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, the 
          Market Promotion Program promotes a wide variety of U.S. 
          commodities in almost every region of the world.  Surplus 
          stocks or funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation are 
          used to partially reimburse agricultural organizations 
          conducting specific foreign market development projects for 
          eligible products in specified countries.  For more 
          information, contact Marketing Operations at (202) 
          720-5521.
          
          Japanese Entities
          
          The Export-Import Bank of Japan (JEXIM):  In order to 
          increase Japan's imports, the JEXIM has expanded the scope 
          of eligible borrowers for low-interest financing.  Products 
          of American companies are eligible for the Japanese 
          Government import credit program.  For information, 
          contact:
          
          The Export-Import Bank of Japan  The Export-Import Bank of Japan
          375 Park Avenue, Suite 3601      2000 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
          New York, NY 10152               Suite 3350
          Phone:  (212) 888-9500           Washington, DC 20006
                                           Phone:  (202) 331-8547
          
          The Japan Development Bank (JDB):  The JDB has sharply 
          increased low-interest financing offered to foreign 
          companies for import-related facilities in Japan as well as 
          for direct investment in Japan by U.S.  companies.  For 
          information, contact:
          
          The Japan Development Bank       The Japan Development Bank
          Center for Promotion of Direct   Center for Promotion of Direct
           Investment in Japan              Investment in Japan
          1101 17th Street, N.W.           575 Fifth Avenue, 28th Floor
          Suite 1001                       New York, NY 10017
          Washington, DC 20036             Phone:  (212) 949-7550
          Phone:  (202) 331-8696
          
          The Export-Import Insurance Division of the Ministry of 
          International Trade and Industry (EID/MITI):  EID/MITI, 
          which began operations in 1950, insures repayment of export 
          credits. EID/MITI insurance enables commercial banks, which 
          normally would be unwilling to assume the risk of certain 
          types of financing, to fund overseas projects.  EID/MITI 
          has a wide range of short, medium, and long-term insurance 
          programs for Japanese and non-Japanese exporters, 
          importers, and investors.  For more information, contact:
          
              Ministry of International Trade and Industry
              Export-Import Insurance Division
              1-3-1, Kasumigaseki
              Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100, Japan
          
          In May 1991, the Export-Import Bank of the United States 
          reached an agreement for cooperation with the financial 
          institutions of the Government of Japan (JEXIM, JDB, and 
          EID/MITI) to advance mutual objectives in:  (1) expanding 
          the role of exports in the growth of global trade, (2) 
          facilitating the flow of trade and investment capital to 
          developing countries, (3) assisting cooperation between 
          suppliers and banks of Japan and the United States, and (4) 
          increasing the volume of exports from the United States to 
          Japan and other countries.  It is expected that the 
          cooperative application of financing support by the 
          respective agencies will enable projects to be financed 
          which otherwise could not proceed for lack of complete 
          capital resources.  In particular, it is expected that U.S. 
          exports will benefit from more effective access to 
          financing supported by the Japanese agencies.
          
          
