12 C.F.R. Subpart A—Procedures for Disclosure of Records Under the Freedom of Information Act.
Title 12 - Banks and Banking
(a) Purpose. This subpart establishes policy, procedures, requirements, and responsibilities for administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). (b) Policy. It is Ex-Im Bank's policy to honor all requests for the disclosure of its records, provided that disclosure would not adversely affect a legitimate public or private interest and would not impose an unreasonable burden on Ex-Im Bank. However, this subpart also recognizes that the soundness of many Ex-Im Bank programs depends upon the receipt of reliable commercial, technical, financial, and business information relating to applicants for Ex-Im Bank assistance and that receipt of such information depends on Ex-Im Bank's ability to hold such information in confidence. Consequently, except as provided by applicable law and this regulation, information provided to Ex-Im Bank in confidence will not be disclosed without the submitter's consent. (c) Scope. All record requests made to Ex-Im Bank shall be processed under this subpart, except that information customarily furnished to the public in the regular course of the performance of official duties may continue to be furnished to the public without complying with this subpart. Requests made by individuals under the Privacy Act of 1974 which are processed under subpart B of this part also shall be processed under this subpart A. (d) Ex-Im Bank Internet site. Ex-Im Bank maintains an Internet site at http://www.exim.gov. The site contains information on Ex-Im Bank functions, activities, programs, and transactions. Web site visitors have access to Board of Directors and Loan Committee meeting minutes, country information, and Ex-Im Bank press releases, among other information. Ex-Im Bank encourages all prospective FOIA requesters to visit the site prior to submission of a FOIA request. (e) Delegation. Any action or determination in this subpart which is the responsibility of a specific Ex-Im Bank employee, may be delegated to a duly designated alternate. (f) Ex-Im Bank address. The Export-Import Bank of the United States is located at 811 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20571. For purposes of this subpart, the following definitions shall apply: All other requesters—Requesters other than commercial use requesters, educational and non-commercial scientific requesters, or representatives of the news media. Appeal—A written request to the Ex-Im Bank Assistant General Counsel for Administration for reversal of an adverse initial determination. Business information—Potentially confidential commercial or financial information that is provided to Ex-Im Bank. Business submitter—Any person who provides business information to Ex-Im Bank. Commercial use request—A request for a use or purpose that furthers the commercial, trade or profit interest of the requester. Direct costs—Expenditures incurred in the search, review, and duplication of records in response to a FOIA request. Educational institution—A preschool, a public or private elementary or secondary school, an institution of undergraduate or graduate higher education, or an institution of professional or vocational education. Final determination—The written decision by the Assistant General Counsel for Administration on an appeal. Initial determination—The initial written determination by Ex-Im Bank regarding disclosure of requested records. Non-commercial scientific institution—An institution that is operated for the purpose of conducting scientific research the results of which are not intended to promote any particular product or industry and that is not operated solely for purposes of furthering a business, trade or profit interest. Person—An individual, partnership, corporation, association or organization other than a federal government agency. Record—All papers, memoranda or other documentary material, or copies thereof, regardless of physical form or characteristics, created or received by Ex-Im Bank and preserved as evidence of the activities of Ex-Im Bank. “Record” does not include publications which are available to the public through the Redaction—The process of removing non-disclosable material from a record so that the remainder may be released. Representative of the news media—A person actively gathering information on behalf of an entity organized and operated to publish or broadcast news to the public. Freelance journalists shall qualify as representatives of the news media when they can demonstrate that a request is reasonably likely to lead to publication. Request—Any record request made to Ex-Im Bank under the FOIA. Requester—Any person making a request. Review—The process of examining a record to determine whether any portion is required to be withheld. It includes redaction, duplication, and any other preparation for release. Review does not include time spent resolving general legal and policy issues regarding the application of exemptions. Search—The process of identifying and collecting records pursuant to a request. Trade secrets—All forms and types of financial, business, scientific, technical, economic or engineering information, including, but not limited to, patterns, plans, compilations, program devices, formulas, designs, prototypes, methods, techniques, processes, procedures, programs or codes. Unusual circumstances—The need to search for and collect requested records from facilities that are separate from Ex-Im Bank headquarters; the need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records which are demanded in a single request; or the need for consultation with another agency a person that has a substantial interest in the determination of the request. Working days—All calendar days excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal Government holidays. Ex-Im Bank maintains a public reading room which contains the Ex-Im Bank records that the FOIA requires to be made available for public inspection and copying. The records available under this section include copies of records released pursuant to the FOIA that Ex-Im Bank determines have, or are likely to, become the subject of subsequent requests for substantially the same records. Requesters shall be responsible for the cost of duplicating such material in accordance with the provisions of §404.9(e). Persons desiring to use the reading room should contact the Ex-Im Bank Freedom of Information and Privacy Office, either in writing at the address at §404.1(f) or by telephone at (202) 565–3946 or (800) 565–3946, to arrange a time to inspect the available records. (a) Form. Requests must be made in writing and must be signed by, or on behalf of, the requester. Requests should be addressed to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office at the address in §404.1(f) and should contain both the return address and telephone number of the requester. (b) Description of records requested. Each request must describe the records sought in sufficient detail so as to enable a professional employee of Ex-Im Bank familiar with the subject matter of the request to locate the record with a reasonable amount of effort. A request shall not be deemed to have been received until such time as the request adequately identifies the records sought. To the extent practicable, a description should include relevant dates, format, subject matter, and the name of any person to whom the record is known to relate. A general request for records with no accompanying date restriction, either express or implied, shall be deemed to be a request for records created within the preceding twelve months. (c) Fee statement. The request must contain a statement expressing willingness to pay fees for the requested records or a request for a fee waiver (see §404.10) before the request shall be deemed to have been received. A fee statement may specify the maximum amount a requester is willing to pay for processing the request. (1) Whenever a requester submits a FOIA request that does not contain a fee statement or a request for a fee waiver, Ex-Im Bank shall advise the requester of the requirements of this paragraph. If the requester fails to respond within ten working days of such notification, then the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office shall notify the requester, in writing, that Ex-Im Bank will not process the request. (2) A general statement by the requester expressing willingness to pay all applicable fees under §404.9 shall be deemed an agreement to pay up to $50.00. If Ex-Im Bank estimates that the fees for a request will exceed $50.00, then Ex-Im Bank shall offer the requester the opportunity to agree, in writing, either to pay a greater fee or to modify the request as a means of limiting the cost. (d) Written notice of amendment. The requester should provide any amendment to the original request in writing to Ex-Im Bank. (e) Requester assistance. Ex-Im Bank shall make reasonable efforts to assist a requester in complying with the requirements of this section. (a) General. Ex-Im Bank shall respond to requests within twenty working days of the date of receipt of the request unless unusual circumstances exist. Ex-Im Bank shall provide written notice to the requester whenever such unusual circumstances necessitate an extension. If the extension is expected to exceed ten working days, then Ex-Im Bank shall offer the requester the opportunity to: (1) Alter the request so that it may be processed within the time limit; or (2) Propose an alternative, feasible time frame for processing the request. (b) Date of receipt. A request shall be deemed to have been received on the date that the request is received in the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office, provided that the requester has met all the requirements of §404.4. Ex-Im Bank shall notify the requester of the date on which a request was officially received. (c) Order of processing. Ex-Im Bank ordinarily shall process requests according to their order of receipt. (d) Expedited processing. A request for expedited processing must be included in the original request for records and may be granted at the discretion of Ex-Im Bank based upon the requester's demonstration of: (1) An imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual; or (2) In the case of a requester who is a representative of the news media, an urgency to inform the public concerning actual or alleged Federal Government activity. Ex-Im Bank shall provide notice of its determination on expedited processing to the requester. A requester may file an administrative appeal, as set forth at §404.11, based on a denial of a request for expedited processing. Ex-Im Bank shall grant expeditious consideration to any such appeal. (a) Creation of records. A reasonable request for material not in existence may be honored at Ex-Im Bank's discretion when tabulation or compilation will not significantly burden Ex-Im Bank, its programs or its activities. (b) Discretionary release. Consistent with federal government policy, material technically qualifying for exemption from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(5) may be made available when disclosure would not adversely affect legitimate public or private interests, violate law or impose an unreasonable burden on Ex-Im Bank. This policy does not, however, create any right enforceable in a court of law. (c) Segregable records. Whenever it is determined that a portion of a record is exempt from disclosure, any reasonably segregable portion of the record shall be provided to the requester after redaction of the exempt material. If segregation would render the document meaningless, Ex-Im Bank shall withhold the entire record. (d) Date for determining responsive records. Only those records within Ex-Im Bank's possession and control as of the date of receipt of a request shall be deemed to be responsive to a request. (a) Scope. This section applies to all business information, as defined in §404.2. Such information shall only be disclosed pursuant to a FOIA request in accordance with this section. (b) Submitter designation. All business submitters should designate, by appropriate markings, either at the time of submission or at a reasonable time thereafter, any portion of any submission that they consider to be exempt from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4). (c) Pre-disclosure notice to the business submitter. Whenever Ex-Im Bank receives a FOIA request seeking disclosure of business information, Ex-Im Bank shall provide prompt written notice to the submitter of such information. This notice shall include a description or a copy of the records containing the business information. Such notice shall not be required, however, if: (1) Ex-Im Bank determines that the records shall not be disclosed; (2) The records have been published or otherwise made available to the public; or (3) disclosure of the records is required by law. (d) Opportunity to object to disclosure. The business submitter shall have ten working days from and including the date of the notification letter to provide Ex-Im Bank with a detailed statement of any objection to disclosure of the records. A submitter located outside the United States shall have twenty working days to object to disclosure. Ex-Im Bank may extend the time for objection upon timely request from the submitter and for good cause shown. A statement of objection must specify all grounds under the FOIA for withholding the information. (e) Notice to the requester. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Office shall notify the requester in writing whenever a business submitter is afforded the opportunity to object to disclosure of records pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section. (f) Disclosure of confidential business information. Ex-Im Bank shall consider any objections raised by the business submitter prior to making its disclosure decision. (g) Notice of intent to disclose. Whenever Ex-Im Bank determines to disclose business information over the objection of a business submitter, Ex-Im Bank shall notify the business submitter, in writing, of such determination, the reasons for the decision, and the expected disclosure date. This notification—which shall be provided at least ten days prior to the planned disclosure date and which shall include a copy or description of the records at issue—is intended to afford the submitter the opportunity to seek judicial review. (h) Notice to requester of disclosure date. If Ex-Im Bank determines to disclose records over a business submitter's objection, then Ex-Im Bank shall notify the requester of the expected disclosure date. (i) Appeal. Whenever Ex-Im Bank determines to disclose, pursuant to an administrative appeal, business information that initially was withheld from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), Ex-Im Bank shall notify the business submitter. Such notice shall be in writing and shall be provided ten working days prior to the proposed disclosure date. It shall include a copy or description of the records at issue and a statement of Ex-Im Bank's reasons for disclosure. (j) Notice of FOIA lawsuit. Ex-Im Bank shall promptly notify the submitter whenever a requester brings suit against Ex-Im Bank seeking to compel the release of business information covered by this section. Ex-Im Bank shall promptly notify the requester when a submitter brings suit against Ex-Im seeking to restrict the release of business information that is covered by this section. (k) Exception. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this part, Ex-Im Bank may, upon request or on its own initiative, publicly disclose the parties to transactions for which Ex-Im Bank approves support, the amount of such support, the identity of any participants involved, a general description of the related U.S. exports, and the country to which such exports are destined. (a) Authority to grant or deny requests. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Office shall be responsible for search, review, and the initial determination. (b) Referrals to other government agencies. A requested record in Ex-Im Bank's possession that was created or classified by another Federal agency shall be referred to such agency for direct response to the requester. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Office shall notify the requester of any such referral, the number of documents so referred, and the name and address of each agency to which the request has been referred. (c) Notification of Ex-Im Bank action. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Office shall notify the requester in writing of its decision to grant or deny the request. (1) If the decision is made to grant a request, then Ex-Im Bank shall promptly disclose the requested records and shall inform the requester of any fee payable under §404.9. (2) A denial is a determination to withhold any requested record in whole or in part, a determination that a requested record does not exist or cannot be located or a determination that what has been requested is not a record subject to the FOIA. Whenever Ex-Im Bank withholds information, such notice shall include: (i) The name, title, and signature of the person responsible for the determination; (ii) The statutory basis for non-disclosure; and (iii) A statement that any denial may be appealed under §404.11 and a brief description of the requirements of that section. (d) Material withheld. Ex-Im Bank shall make reasonable efforts to inform the requester of the volume of material withheld pursuant to a full or partial denial and the extent of any redaction. Ex-Im Bank shall not, however, indicate the extent of any denial when doing so could harm an interest protected by an applicable exemption. (a) General. Ex-Im Bank shall charge fees to recover the full allowable direct costs it incurs in processing requests. Ex-Im Bank shall attempt to conduct searches in the most efficient manner to minimize costs for both Ex-Im Bank and the requester. (b) Categories of requesters. Fees shall be assessed according to the status of the requester. The specific schedule of fees for each requester category (each as defined in §404.2) is prescribed as follows: (1) Commercial use requesters. Ex-Im Bank shall charge the full costs for search, review, and duplication. (2) Educational and non-commercial scientific institution requesters. Ex-Im Bank shall charge only for the cost of duplication in excess of 100 pages. No fee will be charged for search or review. (3) Representatives of the news media. Ex-Im Bank shall charge only for the cost of duplication in excess of 100 pages. No fee will be charged for search or review. (4) All other requesters. Ex-Im Bank shall charge for the cost of search, review, and duplication, except that 100 pages of duplication and two hours of professional search time shall be furnished without charge. (c) Search and review fees. Ex-Im Bank shall charge the following fees for search and review: (1) Clerical. Hourly rate—$16.00. (2) Professional. Hourly rate—$32.00. (3) Computer Searches. Hourly rate—based upon the salary of the employee performing the work and the cost of operating any equipment. (d) Administrative appeals. Ex-Im Bank shall not charge for administrative review of an exemption applied in an initial determination. Ex-Im Bank shall charge, however, for search and review pursuant to an administrative appeal if the appeal is based on a claim other than the application of an exemption in the initial determination. (e) Duplication. Ex-Im Bank shall charge $.10 per page for paper copy duplication. Ex-Im Bank shall charge the actual or estimated cost of copies prepared by computer, such as tape or printouts, or for other methods of duplication. When duplication charges are expected to exceed $50.00, Ex-Im Bank shall seek the requester's consent to be responsible for the estimated charges unless a requester has already expressed a willingness to pay duplication fees in excess of $50.00. Ex-Im Bank shall also offer the requester the opportunity to alter the request in order to reduce duplication costs. (f) Fees for searches that produce no records. Fees shall be payable as provided in this section even though searches and review do not generate any disclosable records. (g) Aggregating requests. A requester, or a group of requesters acting in concert, shall not file multiple requests, seeking portions of a record or similar or related records, in order to avoid payment of fees. Ex-Im Bank shall aggregate any such requests and charge as if the requests were a single request. (h) Special services charges. Complying with requests for special services such as those listed in this paragraph is entirely at the discretion of Ex-Im Bank. Ex-Im Bank shall recover the full costs of providing such services to the extent that it elects to provide them. (1) Certifications. Ex-Im Bank shall charge $25.00 to certify the authenticity of any Ex-Im Bank record or any copy of such record. (2) Special shipping. Ex-Im Bank may ship by special means (e.g., express mail) if the requester so desires, provided that the requester has paid or has expressly undertaken to pay all costs of such special services. Ex-Im Bank shall not charge for ordinary packaging and mailing. (i) Minimum fee. Ex-Im Bank shall waive a final fee of $5.00 or less. (j) Advance payment. Whenever Ex-Im Bank estimates that the fees are likely to exceed $250.00, Ex-Im Bank shall notify the requester of the likely cost and shall require an advance payment of an amount up to the full estimated charges. (k) Failure to pay fee. Ex-Im Bank shall not process a request by a requester who has failed to pay a fee for a previous request unless and until such a requester had paid the full amount owed and also has paid, in advance, the total estimated charges for the new request. The administrative time limits for the new request—set forth in §404.5—shall begin to run only after Ex-Im Bank has received the payments described in this section. (a) General. Upon request, Ex-Im Bank shall consider a discretionary fee waiver or reduction of the fees chargeable under §404.9. (b) Form of request for fee waiver. Ex-Im Bank shall deny a request for a waiver or reduction of fees that does not clearly address each of the following: (1) The proposed use of the records and whether the requester will derive income or other benefit from such use; (2) An explanation of the reasons why the public will benefit from such use; and (3) If specialized use of the records is contemplated, a statement of the requester's qualifications that are relevant to the specialized use. (d) Burden of proof. In all cases, the requester has the burden of presenting sufficient evidence or information to justify the fee waiver or reduction. The requester may use the procedures set forth in §404.11 to appeal a denial of a fee waiver request. (e) Employee requests. Fees of less than $50.00 shall be waived in connection with any request by an employee, former employee, or applicant for employment, related to a grievance or complaint of discrimination against Ex-Im Bank. (a) General. Whenever a request for records, a fee waiver or expedited processing has been denied, the requester may appeal the denial within thirty days of the date of Ex-Im Bank's issuance of notice of such action. Any denial under this subpart must be appealed according to this section before a requester is eligible to seek judicial review. (b) Form. Appeals must be made in writing and must be signed by the appellant. Appeals should be addressed to the Assistant General Counsel for Administration at the address at §404.1(f). Both the envelope and the appeal letter should be clearly marked in capital letters: “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT APPEAL.” Failure to properly mark or address the appeal may slow its processing. The letter should include: (1) A copy of the denied request or a description of the records requested; (2) The name and title of the Ex-Im Bank employee who denied the request; (3) The date on which the request was denied; (4) The Ex-Im Bank identification number assigned to the request; and (5) The return address and telephone number of the appellant. (c) Processing schedule. Appeals shall not be deemed to have been received until the Assistant General Counsel for Administration receives the appeal. Ex-Im Bank shall notify the requester of the date on which an appeal was officially received. The disposition of an appeal shall be made in writing within twenty working days after the date of receipt of an appeal. The Assistant General Counsel for Administration may extend the time for response an additional ten working days if unusual circumstances exist, provided that the Assistant General Counsel for Administration notifies the requester in writing. (d) Ex-Im Bank decision. A final determination which affirms an adverse initial determination shall set forth the reasons for affirming the denial and shall advise the requester of the right to seek judicial review. If the initial determination is reversed on appeal, the request shall be remanded to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office to be processed promptly in accordance with the decision on appeal, subject to §404.7(i).
Title 12: Banks and Banking
PART 404—INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
Subpart A—Procedures for Disclosure of Records Under the Freedom of Information Act.
§ 404.1 General provisions.
§ 404.2 Definitions.
§ 404.3 Public reference facilities.
§ 404.4 Request requirements.
§ 404.5 Time for processing.
§ 404.6 Release of records under the Freedom of Information Act.
§ 404.7 Confidential business information.
§ 404.8 Initial determination.
§ 404.9 Schedule of fees.
§ 404.10 Fee waivers or reductions.
§ 404.11 Administrative appeal.
