Mizuho Arranges $70MM Latin American Ninja Loan

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - October 8, 2008) - Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. ("Mizuho") announced today that it has successfully closed a 3.5-year, US$70 million Ninja loan, syndicated in Japan, for the Inter-American Investment Corporation ("IIC"). This financing is the second Ninja loan arranged by Mizuho for the IIC in 2008, and the largest in the region to date. Mizuho acted as Mandated Arranger and Agent on the transaction. Lenders include Mizuho, Shinkin Central Bank, The Chuo Mitsui Trust and Banking Company, Limited, and a Japanese regional bank.

"We are proud to lead the continued expansion of Ninja loan financing for Latin American entities in Japan," said Mitsuhiro Nagahama, Managing Executive Officer and Head of the Americas for Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. "Providing the IIC with a second Ninja loan -- with its increased size, longer tenor and new investors -- furthers our long-term relationship with a key client, and embodies our commitment to offering clients cutting-edge financial solutions on a 'deal-after-deal,' continuous basis."

Ricardo Rico, Funding and Syndications Officer at IIC, added, "We are very pleased with this second Ninja loan arranged by Mizuho this year, as it puts us a step further on the map of Japanese investors. In addition, the fact that this transaction has been closed under difficult market conditions worldwide indicates a strong arranging capacity by Mizuho, as well as a recognition by Japanese investors of IIC's high credit quality."

A Ninja loan, a structure pioneered by Mizuho, is a cross-border syndicated loan from a Japanese bank to a non-Japanese borrower. Mizuho received a mandate from the IIC in March 2008 for the first Ninja loan arranged for a Latin American entity without credit enhancement in Japan.

Mizuho is the market leader in syndicated loans in Japan. In 2007, Mizuho was the #1 Mandated Arranger and Bookrunner of syndicated loans in Japan, with 632 deals totaling more than US$59 billion in proceeds, and a 30.7% market share(1). Mizuho has the largest loan syndication group in Japan, with approximately 240 professionals.

IIC indicated it plans to use the loan for general corporate purposes.

About the Inter-American Investment Corporation

The Inter-American Investment Corporation is a multilateral financial institution that is a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group. It provides financing (in the form of equity investments, loans, guarantees, and other instruments) and advisory services to private enterprises in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2007, the IIC reached US$1.2 billion in assets and approved 62 transactions channeling US$470 million to SMEs in the region. The IIC's mission is to promote the economic development of its regional member countries by encouraging the establishment, expansion, and modernization of private enterprises, particularly those that are small and medium in size. For more information on the IIC's activities, please visit www.iic.int.

About Mizuho

Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. provides financial and strategic solutions for the increasingly diverse and sophisticated needs of clients, focusing its efforts on serving major corporations, financial institutions, and public sector entities. A relationship management approach to serving clients enables Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd., together with affiliates including Mizuho Securities, to develop customized solutions in areas such as corporate, structured and project finance, investment banking, transaction banking and risk management. With offices in more than 27 countries, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. offers clients both localized service and the extensive reach of a global business network. Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. is a subsidiary of the Japan-based Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: MFG), one of the largest financial services companies in the world, with total assets of more than US$1.5 trillion, as of March 31, 2008.

(1) Source: Thomson Reuters

Contact Information: For further information, contact: Lesley Palmer Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. 212-282-4190 Masato Mizuno Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. 212-282-4945