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Trump Hosts White House Business Lunch to Launch Quarterly US-Africa Trade Initiative

The gathering marks a shift from development aid toward a transactional approach that seeks to leverage US commercial strength to counter foreign influence in Africa.

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Excavators to be exported to Africa are seen waiting to be loaded on a cargo ship at a port in Yantai, in eastern China's Shandong province, on March 7, 2025.
A view of a train loaded with iron ore at the ArcelorMittal iron ore mine in Mount Nimba, Liberia, June 11, 2021.
An aerial view show trucks loading sand from a quarry on the outskirts of Nouakchott, Mauritania, on March 14, 2023.

Overview

  • President Trump convened leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal on July 9 as the first in a quarterly series of high-level US-Africa engagements.
  • The White House lunch prioritized commercial opportunities to secure mineral deals and strengthen supply-chain security under a 'trade not aid' doctrine.
  • Coastal West and Central African states were selected for their roles in countering violent extremism and enhancing regional security partnerships.
  • The State Department now evaluates US ambassadors in Africa on their success in advocating market reforms and brokering deals for American businesses.
  • Officials are planning a broader US-Africa summit at the UN General Assembly in September to expand on the administration’s transactional diplomacy.