U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment

During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Week, the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) hosted a roundtable on growing trade and investment between the U.S. and Africa. CCA President and CEO Florie Liser opened by noting that Africa makes up less than 2% of U.S. trade and receives less than 1% of U.S. investment abroad. She welcomed the recent extension through December 2028 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a U.S. program that lets eligible African countries export many goods to the U.S. without tariffs. Speakers included two Mauritian ministers, Dhananjay Ramful, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, and Ameer Meea, Minister of Industry, Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives. They were joined by Jumoke Oduwole, Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and Vinay Chawla, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. CCA Board Chair John Olajide and leaders from Flour Mills of Nigeria, Google, AfricaGlobal Schaffer and other companies also took part.

The Mauritian ministers urged partners to use the AGOA extension to help African countries export a wider range of products, and presented Mauritius as a base from which U.S. companies can invest across Africa. Mr. Chawla explained the U.S. focus on trade over aid, noting that the U.S. government has helped close more than 50 deals worth over $30 billion in sub-Saharan Africa in the past year and a half. Minister Oduwole described Nigeria's recent economic reforms and its focus on turning investment announcements into working projects and jobs. Business leaders shared their investments in agriculture and digital skills, and stressed that reliable power is essential for industry to grow. Ms. Liser noted that CCA will hold a follow-up forum on Capitol Hill in November on improving AGOA, and closed by describing the partnership as moving from aid to trade to investment.

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Click here for photos from UNGA 2026.