New U.S. Exim Bank Head Promises to Compete With China — Just Not Dollar For Dollar

Reta Jo Lewis, the new head of the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM), said she’s confident that the U.S. can effectively compete against China in the policy bank arena even though her institution spends just a tenth of what the Chinese do.

Lewis was sworn in on Tuesday by Vice President Kamela Harris and said in a speech afterward that both China and Africa are going to be important priorities. “Whether it’s competing with China, whether it’s growing our export support for clean and renewable energy, whether it’s investing in sustainable futures with Sub-Saharan Africa, advancing transformational export areas – to me, it’s a new day,” she said.