U.S. Unveils New Commercial Diplomacy Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa

ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire — The Biden administration is rolling out a new Commercial Diplomacy Strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, aimed at expanding U.S. trade and investment on the continent, according to Ambassador Troy Fitrell, acting head of the Africa Bureau at the U.S. State Department.

Speaking at the 2025 AmCham Business Summit in Abidjan, Fitrell emphasized the urgency of redefining America’s economic relationship with Africa. “Africa should be among our largest trading partners, and yet it isn’t,” he said. “U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa represent less than one percent of our total trade in goods—a figure that has remained virtually unchanged for over two decades.”

The summit, hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan and the U.S.-Africa Business Center of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, brought together business leaders from across West Africa. Fitrell stressed that the U.S. is committed to increasing exports, reducing trade deficits, and promoting mutual prosperity through targeted commercial engagement. The strategy, he added, is “based on what we’ve seen that actually works.”