
Africa is home to nearly one-fifth of the world's natural
resources and more than half a billion people. As U.S.
commercial relations continue to grow with many African
economies, an increasing number of American firms are
recognizing the opportunities on the continent for mutually
beneficial business partnerships.
USTDA, an independent federal agency, places a high priority on
Africa in carrying out its dual mission of supporting overseas
development projects and promoting U.S. exports. In fact, one
of the agency's first grants was signed in Africa - in Tanzania
in 1981. Since then, USTDA has invested over $54 million in
funding for activities that encourage further economic
development in Africa. From FY 1981 through FY 2000, $1.7
billion in U.S. exports have been attributed to USTDA activities
in Africa and the Middle East. The downstream impact of USTDA
funding is expected to increase substantially as more projects
move from the planning to implementation stage. As AGOA
continues to raise interest in African private sector expansion,
USTDA expects continuation of the increase in demand for its
specialized funding services.
The
U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development
and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income
countries. The agency funds various forms of technical
assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits
and business workshops that support the development of a modern
infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's
strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound
investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates
an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable
economic development.
The
following list describes some recent projects in Africa in which
USTDA has been involved:
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