Taxpayers subsidize Eximbank loans to boost exports
Eximbank loans totaling 2.4 billion in fiscal 1973 are offered below domestic rates to aid exports and balance of payments. The bank funds and guarantees loans to finance nuclear power plants aircraft and military equipment abroad while domestic borrowing stays near 10 percent. The 6 percent concessional rate is pitched as necessary for planning and competitiveness despite criticism of domestic side effects.