Translating the Export-Import Bank’s propaganda numbers

Published April 27, 2015 12:21pm EST | Updated November 4, 2023 6:11am EST



New York Times columnist Joe Nocera believes “the numbers” provide a defense of the Export-Import Bank, the federal agency that pushes private capital into exports from other U.S. industries mostly by giving taxpayer-backed loan guarantees to foreign companies.

Ex-Im officials seem to think the numbers are in their favor, too. At last week’s annual conference for the agency, they populated the tables with glossy flyers containing the above numbers. I found the numbers misleading, and so if you mouse over Ex-Im’s figures, you’ll get some truer context.