Make Port of Wilmington the gateway to American market
The Port of Wilmington is the nation's leading port for fruit cargo. This week, I'm visiting Chile--an important trading partner for Delaware. Because Chile is in the Southern Hemisphere, its harvests complements ours. We're able to get fresh
Chilean fruit delivered during the winter.
Companies like Wal-Mart and Dole have made our Port their East Coast hub for Chilean fruit and over the last year, the amount of Chilean fruit unloaded at the Port of Wilmington increased by nearly 20%.
This means jobs--more than 600 jobs that rely on this business. This week, my mission has been to finalize the deal .
We are working to promote Delaware's reputation internationally and make sure that any companies looking for a new location know about
Delaware.
For many employers, we are the ideal gateway to the American market. Our world-class port, prime location on the East coast and quality workforce and transportation infrastructure make Delaware a practical choice.
Press release on Letter from 31 Governors to House Republican leaders:
We urge you to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) before its charter expires this year. In its role as the official export credit agency, Ex-Im is a vital export finance tool for exporters in our states, at no cost to American taxpayers.
Ex-Im allows our companies and workers to compete on a level playing field against our competitors. Without Ex-Im financing, US firms would have lost many sales campaigns to their overseas competitors.
Reauthorizing Ex-Im is the right thing to do for our economy, companies and workers. 41 GOP lawmakers and 865 business organizations have called for the charter`s immediate renewal. And, House Democrats have already introduced legislation to reauthorize the bank. Speaker Boehner, it`s time to act; quit jeopardizing the nation`s economy and American jobs.
Argument in opposition from FreedomWorks:
Top Ten Reasons to Let the
Export-Import Bank Expire
It Has Outlived Its Purpose: In the 2010s, US exports have been setting record highs--they don`t need government help.
It Lets Government Pick Winners and Losers
Its Risky Loans Put it in Danger of Needing Taxpayer Bailouts
It Costs Taxpayers Money Annually, thanks to government accounting gimmicks
Most of Its Funding Goes to Big Corporations Who Don`t Need the Money
It Lets Foreign Corporations Undercut US Competitors
It Only Benefits a Few States, but Every State Bears the Costs
It Is Prone to Corruption (like whenever you involve the government in handing out money)
There Are Better Ways to Help US. Manufacturers: the government should lower and simplify the tax and regulatory burden US companies face.
It Is Unnecessary. The Ex-Im Bank cannot justify its continued existence. It`s also one of the easiest programs to retire, as its authorization expires in September 2014 if Congress simply does nothing.
Source: Letter from 31 Governors 14_Lt_ExIm on Jul 15, 2014
Support long-term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.
Markell signed Letter from 26 Governors to Congressional leadership
As governors of states whose economies and workforces depend on exports, we strongly urge Congress to support legislation that provides for the long-term reauthorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) before its charter expires on June 30, 2015. The Ex-Im Bank is a crucial tool that both small and large businesses use to compete fairly in the world market, increase their exports, stimulate job creation, and contribute to the growth of our states` economies.
As the official export credit agency of the United States, the Ex-Im Bank assumes the credit and country risks that private sector lenders are unable or unwilling to accept, and without it, U.S. firms would lose many sales to overseas competitors. The Ex-Im Bank allows our companies and workers to compete on a level playing field against international competitors who receive extensive support from their own export credit agencies.
In 2014, the Ex-Im Bank supplied more than $20 billion in financing to support approximately $27 billion in exports. In that same fiscal year, the Ex-Im Bank supported more than 160,000 American jobs. And the overwhelming majority of the Ex-Im Bank`s transactions--nearly 90 percent--assisted small businesses.
The Ex-Im Bank is financially self-sustaining, and operates at no cost to hard-working American taxpayers. In fact, in fiscal year 2014 alone, the Ex-Im Bank returned approximately $675 million in deficit-reducing receipts to the U.S. Treasury.
Last year, Congress reauthorized the Ex-Im Bank [for one year]. It is essential that both chambers act again, this time to pass a long-term, multi-year reauthorization.
Source: Letter from 26 Governors to Congressional leadership 18LTR-EXIM on Apr 14, 2015