Authority

AUTHORITIES for OMB CONTROL #3245-0348

§ 7. (a) LOANS TO SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS; ALLOWABLE PURPOSES; QUALIFIED BUSINESS; RESTRICTIONS AND LIMITATIONS.—The Administration is empowered to the extent and in such amounts as provided in advance in appropriation Acts to make loans for plant acquisition, construction, conversion, or expansion, including the acquisition of land, material, supplies, equipment, and working capital, and to make loans to any qualified small business concern, including those owned by qualified Indian tribes,¹ for purposes of this Act. Such financings may be made either directly or in cooperation with banks or other financial institutions through agreements to participate on an immediate or deferred (guaranteed) basis. These powers shall be subject, however, to the following restrictions, limitations, and provisions:

§ 7(a)(1) to

§ 7(a)(1)(A)(ii)

14) EXPORT WORKING CAPITAL PROGRAM.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administration may provide extensions of credit, standby letters of credit, revolving lines of credit for export purposes and² other financing to enable small business concerns, including small business export trading companies and small business export management companies, to develop foreign markets. A bank or participating lending institution may establish the rate of interest on extensions and revolving lines of credit as may be legal and reasonable.

(16) INTERNATIONAL TRADE

A) IN GENERAL.—If the Administrator determines that a loan guaranteed under this subsection will allow an eligible small business concern that is engaged in or adversely affected by international trade to improve its competitive position, the Administrator may make such loan to assist such concern in—

(i) the financing of the acquisition, construction, renovation, modernization, improvement, or expansion of productive facilities or equipment to be used in the United States in the production of goods and services involved in international trade; or

(ii) in the refinancing of existing indebtedness that is not structured with reasonable terms and conditions, including any debt that qualifies for refinancing under any other provision of this subsection³; or

(iii)⁴ by providing working capital.

34. EXPORT EXPRESS PROGRAM.—

(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph—

“

(i) the term “export development activity” includes—

(I) obtaining a standby letter of credit when required as a bid bond, performance bond, or advance payment guarantee;

(II) participation in a trade show that takes place outside the United States;

(III) translation of product brochures or catalogues for use in markets outside the United States;

(IV) obtaining a general line of credit for export purposes;

(V) performing a service contract from buyers located outside the United States;

(VI) obtaining transaction-specific financing associated with completing export orders;

(VII) purchasing real estate or equipment to be used the production of goods or services for export;

(VIII) providing term loans or other financing to enable a small business concern, including an export trading company and an export management company, to develop a market outside the United States; and

(IX) acquiring, constructing, renovating, modernizing, improving, or expanding a production facility or equipment to be used in the United States in the production of goods or services for export; and

“Express loan.”

(ii) the term “express loan” means a loan in which a lender uses to the maximum extent practicable the loan analyses, procedures, and documentation of the lender to provide expedited processing of the loan application.

(B) AUTHORITY.—The Administrator may guarantee the timely payment of an express loan to a small business concern made for an export development activity.

(C) LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION.—

(i) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—the maximum amount of an express loan guaranteed under this paragraph shall be $500,000.

(ii) PERCENTAGE.—For an express loan guaranteed under this paragraph, the Administrator shall guarantee—

(I) 90 percent of a loan that is not more than $350,000; and

(II) 75 percent of a loan that is more than $350,000 and not more than $500,000.

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