USAID has launched the Africa Trade Desk, a signature trade platform linking large US food retailers to African producers.
The platform would be facilitated by Prosper Africa, a US government initiative, and is set to facilitate at least $300 million in export sales between Africa and the United States within the next 18 months.
According to a Press Release from USAID, the announcement for the launch of the African Trade Desk was made during the Atlanta Phambili: A Trade & Investment Gateway to Africa & South Africa event, an event highlighting the economic relationship between the United States and Africa, with a spotlight on South Africa.
The African Trade Desk is a public-private partnership between Prosper Africa and Afritex ventures which has a goal of facilitating over $300 million in export sales between Africa and the United States in the next 18 months.
The African Trade Desk is set to bridge the gap between African suppliers and US retailers by providing a secure supply chain from Africa to U.S. retailers by taking care of logistics, insurance, and track and trace technology from farm to retailer.
The Focus of this symbiotic relationship is on specialty food products such as seafood, peppadews, stone fruit, citrus, and high-value herbs and vegetables.
The Initiative aggregates products from African suppliers, secures large orders from an established network of US buyers, and facilitates financial resources to fund large orders.
The product of this initiative will encourage US retailers to embrace high-quality produce from African suppliers and also mentor and scale African suppliers for success in the U.S. market.
Finally, the African Trade Desk will elevate business for African farmers and suppliers by addressing hurdles including logistics and overseas marketing.
What To Know
- Prosper Africa is a U.S. Presidential-level national security initiative created to increase trade and investment at transformative levels.
- Prosper Africa is leading innovative approaches to U.S.-Africa trade relations and is changing the way we do business with Africa.
- The Initiative has a target of making $300m in export sales within its first 18 months.
