(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).