WASHINGTON, U.S., March 10. Benjamin Todd, Vice President of the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM), highlighted opportunities for U.S. companies in Azerbaijan during the U.S.-Azerbaijan Trade and Business Conference in Washington D.C., held to mark the 30th anniversary of the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC), Trend’s special correspondent reports.

Todd noted that U.S. firms have a strong presence in sectors such as rail transport, airport and aircraft infrastructure, and related logistics, and that EXIM Bank is ready to support financing for projects in these areas.

“Cheap energy is another important factor. Lower energy costs mean cheaper computing power, which creates opportunities for U.S. companies in the artificial intelligence and data center sectors. This was also on the agenda today,” he said.

He further highlighted new flexibilities at EXIM Bank in the mining sector, particularly regarding critical minerals. Traditionally, EXIM financing was tied to U.S. procurements, but under the new framework, support can now be linked directly to off-take agreements back to the U.S. “This allows us to finance mines that sell their products to the United States in the critical minerals space,” Todd explained.

He also stressed the importance of enabling infrastructure, such as logistics corridors, to bring minerals to market. “EXIM Bank is a key partner in financing these projects. U.S. companies are extremely competitive in this sector, and we want to ensure they have the support they need to pursue these opportunities,” he added.