Trade a powerful development tool

Africans can help to put our long-term trade and investment relationship on a stronger footing by intensifying efforts to address trade barriers affecting US exporters in their countries. 

We will need to work together to find ways to level the playing field for US exporters and increase two-way trade.   

Last October, the leaders of more than two dozen African countries committed to work toward a regional free trade area stretching from the Mediterranean to the Cape of Good Hope.

These and other efforts toward regional integration hold the promise of boosting intra-regional trade and improving investment prospects in Africa, as well as African competitiveness. 

The United States will work with African regional organisations and their member countries to support these initiatives.

The Obama Administration is committed to supporting trade capacity building assistance, also known as “Aid for Trade,” to help African countries make the most of global trade opportunities. 

Last year, the United States provided over a billion dollars in trade capacity building assistance to sub-Saharan Africa. 

African countries must also do their part by making trade a priority in their development programmes and ensuring that funds are wisely targeted.

As President Obama said in Ghana, what we are trying to achieve with our African partners is “more than growth numbers on a balance sheet.”  We are working to create opportunities, new jobs, and brighter futures for Africans and Americans alike. 

Trade can be a powerful tool for realising Africa’s economic development priorities. The United States is committed to working with our African partners to ensure that trade and development work hand-in-hand.

Kirk is United States Trade Representative in Kenya.