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The Republic of Mauritius, population 1.2 million, is a small (720 sq. mi.) island nation located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar.  Its capital and largest city is Port Louis and has a population of 146,000 people.

Relations between the United States and Mauritius are cordial and largely revolve around trade. The United States is Mauritius’ third-largest market but ranks 12th in terms of exports to Mauritius. Mauritius is also a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)

Mauritius has one of the strongest economies in Africa; although final figures are not yet available, 2004 GDP at market prices is estimated at $6 billion and per capita income at $4,900. Over the past two decades, real output growth averaged just below 6% per year, leading to a more than doubling of per capita income and a marked improvement in social indicators. Economic growth is driven by sugar, textiles, tourism and financial services (particularly offshore companies). The information and communications technology (ICT) sector is now emerging as the fifth pillar of the economy, following massive investment by government in the last three years in related infrastructure and training.

Realizing the need to diversify the economy, Mauritius has embarked on an ambitious development strategy to find new drivers for economic growth. The government is putting emphasis on the development of the ICT sector and the promotion of Mauritius as a seafood hub in the region. Measures are also being taken to modernize and restructure the sugar and textile sectors through better technology and greater capitalization.

The business climate is friendly yet extremely competitive. Mauritius has a long tradition of private entrepreneurship, which has led to a strong and dynamic private sector. Firms entering the market will find a well-developed legal and commercial infrastructure. Mauritius has a well-developed digital infrastructure and offers state-of-the-art telecommunications facilities including international leased lines and high speed Internet access. The government policy is to act as a facilitator to business, leaving production to the private sector. However, it still controls key utility services directly or through parastatals, including electricity, water, waste water, postal services, and broadcasting.

Upcoming events: Infotech 2007

INFOTECH has been organised by the National Computer Board (NCB) since 1995. This major annual Information and Communication Technology (ICT) event is organised in Mauritius with a view to sensitise the population on emerging technologies and boost business opportunities in the ICT sector. For more information on this show please click here...Infotech 2007 (110KB) and to Register please click here... Infotech 2007 registration form (76KB)

For more information on this or other trade and investment matters please contact us at:

Mr. Quentin Barber, Economic/Commercial Officer, email: BarberQR@N0SPAM.state.gov Tel: (230) 202-4460

Shariff Jathoonia, Economic Specialist, email: JathooniSX@N0SPAM.state.gov Tel: +(230) 202 4400 Fax: +(230) 208 9534 U.S. Embassy - Economic Section, 4th Floor, Rogers House, President John Kennedy Ave, Port Louis, Mauritius http://mauritius.usembassy.gov/

Support can also be provided by the U.S. Commercial Service South Africa. Please contact Senior Commercial Officer (SCO) Craig Allen via e-mail at Craig.Allen@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov or telephone at +27 11 778 4813 for additional information or other opportunities in Southern Africa