Eight U.S. companies visited Ghana September 13-14 to explore business partnership opportunities as part of the largest-ever U.S. government-led trade mission to Africa.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Trade Winds—Africa mission brought over 100 companies from 25 U.S. states and across industry sectors to connect with opportunities throughout the continent, including Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.
The mission is part of a concerted effort under the President Obama administration called the Doing Business in Africa campaign, under which the U.S. government has committed billions of dollars to development in Sub-Saharan Africa, and has facilitated billions more in U.S.-Africa business deals.
“Africa is on the forefront of an economic emergence that will shape the world’s business environment for years to come,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis Marcus Jadotte. “The United States and the U.S. business community see Africa as an important partner.”
Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is inviting for foreign companies, as it hosts six of the ten fastest-growing economies in the world, but what draws U.S. companies especially to Africa is the opportunity to make a difference as well as increase revenue.
“American companies are innovative and produce quality goods and services, but what really separates most of them is a desire to make an impact,” said U.S. Senior Commercial Officer Paul Taylor, who works out of the U.S. Embassy in Accra. “U.S. companies leave behind trained workforces and improved infrastructure, among other benefits.
“The U.S. commitment to corporate social responsibility is difficult to match in global business.”
The eight companies—Amalie Oil, Ardry Trading, The Von Corporation, RadioShack, Graphic Products, ITSI Biosciences, Black & Veatch and Black Opal—arrived in Ghana on Sunday and spent Monday meeting with 68 Ghanaian businesses. U.S. commercial diplomats from the U.S. Embassy in Ghana were on hand to provide market-specific counseling to attendees.
The delegation is in South Africa from Wednesday to Friday this week for business-to-business meetings and a business forum featuring speakers from U.S. and African companies including McKinsey, Sasol, and Ford Motor Company.
