Export-Import Bank: Monitoring of Exports with Dual Military and Civilian Uses as of 2025
Fast Facts
The Export-Import Bank's mission is to support U.S. jobs by facilitating U.S. exports through loans, loan guarantees, and insurance.
According to its policy, the Bank generally cannot finance defense goods and services unless they are nonlethal and primarily used for civilian rather than military purposes. The Bank monitors these "dual-use" items to ensure they are used mostly for civilian purposes.
We report each year on these dual-use exports. The bank did not finance any new dual-use exports in FY 2024. As of August 2025, EXIM was not monitoring the end use of any dual-use export because all such transactions had been repaid in full.
Highlights
What GAO Found
As of August 2025, EXIM was not monitoring the end use of any dual-use export because all such transactions had been repaid in full. EXIM did not finance any new exports under its dual-use authority in fiscal year 2024, according to EXIM authorization data and EXIM officials.
Why GAO Did This Study
EXIM's mission is to support the export of U.S. goods and services overseas through loans, loan guarantees, and insurance, thereby supporting U.S. jobs. In 1994, Congress passed legislation authorizing EXIM to facilitate the financing of U.S. exports of defense articles and services with both civilian and military applications, provided that the bank determines such dual-use items are nonlethal and primarily meant for civilian end use. Included in the same act was a provision for GAO, in consultation with EXIM, to report annually on the end uses of dual-use exports financed by EXIM during the second preceding fiscal year.
This report (1) examines the status of EXIM's monitoring of dual-use exports that it continued to finance in fiscal year 2023, as of August 2025, and (2) identifies any new dual-use exports that EXIM financed in fiscal year 2024. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed EXIM documentation and data on dual-use exports and interviewed EXIM officials.
For more information, contact Nagla’a El-Hodiri at elhodirin@gao.gov.