Senator Baucus: Final Passage of Export-Import Bank is Win for Montana Jobs

Senator Says "The More We Trade Montana Products Around the World, the More Jobs we Support Back Home"

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus highlighted the Montana jobs that rely on the Export-Import Bank which cleared final passage today and is now set to become law.

"Montana manufacturers and small businesses rely on the Export-Import Bank to sell their world-class products overseas. The more we can ship Montana goods around the world, the more jobs we can support here at home. While I’ve been fighting to break down trade barriers for Montana businesses, it’s also important to make sure they have the tools in place to compete in new markets while gaining new customers around the world," said Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee which has sole jurisdiction over international trade.

The Export-Import Bank helps Montana businesses finance exporting their products to markets around the globe. In Montana, 12 private companies used the Ex-Im Bank to support more than $4.2 million in export sales since 2007. A full list of participating Montana companies is available online HERE. http://www.exim.gov/congmap/#/MT

Baucus recently highlighted SRS Crisafulli in Glendive as one of his "Montana Jobs Economic Engines." http://www.crisafullipumps.com/ http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=724

The company exports Montana-fabricated pumps, dredges and power units to 29 countries and relies on the Ex-Im Bank heavily to do so. SRS Crisafulli employs more than 30 people and is currently hiring http://www.crisafullipumps.com/contact-us/career-opportunities/ .

"This week, we’re shipping a large order of small dredges to a wastewater plant in Peru – that’s $300,000 in business we wouldn’t be to do without support from the Export-Import Bank. I firmly believe American manufacturers have to compete aggressively in global markets and the Ex-Im Bank is a valuable tool that allows small businesses like ours to compete. This is good government and good business and Max gets that," said Laura Fleming, SRS Crisafulli, Inc. President and CFO.

* Nationally, the Ex-Im Bank helped private companies add close to 300,000 jobs in more than 2,000 communities across the country last year.

* The bank does not use taxpayer money and provides credit financing, loans and loan guarantees for American exporters. More than 85 percent of the bank’s transactions are with small businesses last year.

* The bank’s charter was scheduled to expire on May 31st, 2012.

* The Senate voted 78 to 20 to reauthorize the bank for 3 years. The House voted to 330-93 last week, and the reauthorization is now set to become law.