US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Advances Commercial Ties at AGOA Forum; Announces New Africa Strategy, Bilateral Partnerships and Investment in Digital Infrastructure

The strategy includes pilot trade promotion initiative focused on cosmetics, U.S. company Equinix investing $160 million in a local data center, and planned bilateral commercial Memorandums of Understanding with various African countries.

• At the 20th AGOA Forum in South Africa, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves introduced a new Department of Cosmetics Africa strategy, which includes a pilot trade promotion initiative focusing on the cosmetics industry in South Africa.
• U.S. company Equinix is investing $160 million into a new data center in Johannesburg, showcasing the role of US private sector investment in Africa's digital transformation.
• Graves co-chaired sessions on digital trade and the future of U.S.-Africa trade relations at the AGOA Ministerial, affirming the importance of digital services in advancing trade relations.
• Several bilateral meetings were held with African partners to discuss commercial partnerships and future priorities, including a meeting with South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Ebrahim Patel.
• The meeting with Côte D'Ivoire's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Souleymane Diarrassouba, discussed renewing the bilateral commercial MOU and the intent to open a new Foreign Commercial Service office at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan.

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