Trade  A truck drives along the East African transit corridor. USAID works to improve regional and international trade in Africa to reduce poverty and build self-sufficiency. Photo: East Africa Trade Hub Supporting trade in Africa builds free markets, creates jobs, and raises living standards around the world. USAID builds Africa's trade capacity through regional "trade hubs" and other programs that support the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2000, AGOA aims to boost economic growth in Africa and, by extension, increase regional stability and reduce poverty by providing most goods produced by eligible African countries with duty-free entry to the U.S. market. The trade hubs-located in Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; and Gaborone, Botswana-promote increased trade between Africa and the United States, among other African countries, and with the world. The continuing commitment of the U.S. Government to help Africans to use trade to advance economic growth and development also complements economic growth activities under President Obama's Feed the Future initiative. - Between 2006 and 2010, USAID's African Global Competitiveness Initiative facilitated more than $178 million in exports
- USAID built the trade and export capacity of more than 234,000 firms and 660,000 African entrepreneurs.
- USAID leveraged more than $2 billion in investment for infrastructure and helped 650,000 Africans gain access to the Internet.
Learn more about USAID's work in trade and investment. Select USAID-Supported ResourcesTrade Hubs USAID's trade hubs in West Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa provide trade-related technical assistance to African firms and governments to improve their competitiveness in regional and international markets. TCBoost Through TCBoost, USAID helps to design and implement a wide variety of trade capacity building activities to promote economic growth in developing and transitioning countries. Trade Capacity Building Database Since 2001, USAID has conducted an annual survey on behalf of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to identify and quantify the U.S. Government's trade capacity building activities in developing countries and transitional economies. Recent Africa Trade PublicationsUSAID supports and disseminates trade-led economic growth best practices among African institutions, governments and enterprises, and other stakeholders through knowledge sharing and analysis briefs, summaries of applied best practices, and success stories.
Africa Trade Briefs and Flyers
Printable Handouts on USAID's Trade Activities
Back to Top ^ | 
