AmTrade International Bank Leads in Ex-Im Bank Approvals.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 16, 2000

AmTrade International Bank of Georgia accounted for 53% of the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (Ex-Im Bank) insurance approvals from the Southeast U.S. banking sector for the 8-month period ending May 2000. For this period, banks in the Southeast accounted for 43 transactions approved by Ex-Im Bank; of this AmTrade accounted for 23 approvals. 100% of all applications submitted to Ex-Im Bank by AmTrade during Ex-Im Bank's current fiscal year have been approved. At this current rate of transactions, AmTrade will have 37 approvals by the end of September 30, 2000 representing a 147% increase in activity for AmTrade International Bank over the same period in 1999.

AmTrade's international department is led by Mr. Conway von Girsewald, Senior Vice President. Mr. von Girsewald has over 30 years of trade finance experience. Prior to joining AmTrade, he held the position of Director of Credit Management with Platina Banking Group's offices in Germany and Panama. Among his many banking positions, he also has worked for the Foreign Credit Insurance Association (FCIA) and Export-Import Bank of the United States.

The Ownership group is led by Lord Michael Sandberg, the former CEO of Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp., and Mr. Manuel V. Sicre, President and Chief Executive Officer. AmTrade International Bank of Georgia has offices in Atlanta and Miami and actively supports the U.S. exporter community by financing their foreign buyers with loans supported by the U.S. Export-Import Bank, a U.S. government agency.

For more information contact our headquarters in Atlanta at [phone], or visit our website at www.amtradebank.com.