Congressional Research Service. April 3, 2012.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), an independent federal government agency, is the official export credit agency of the United States. It helps finance U.S. exports of manufactured goods and services, with the objective of contributing to the employment of U.S. workers, primarily in circumstances when alternative financing is not available. The Ex-Im Bank also may assist U.S. exporters to meet foreign, officially sponsored, export credit competition. This report discusses the Ex-Im Bank’s domestic and international context, credit and insurance programs and activities, statutory and policy requirements for the Ex-Im Bank’s transactions, and selected policy issues for Congress.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42472.pdf [PDF format, 27 pages].