President Donald Trump and members of his administration recently announced that the United States will host a U.S.-African Leaders Summit in September, planned just before the UN General Assembly in New York. This will be the third U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit hosted by the United States and the first during the Trump administration. The summit will provide an opportunity for U.S. and African businesses, government officials and civil society to come together and discuss opportunities for investment, economic growth and sustainable development. The summit will also enable the Trump administration to highlight its goals for engagement with the continent and for the African governments to strengthen their relationships with the United States, instead of China or other adversaries.
The Trump administration’s foreign policy is designed to promote economic growth and mutually beneficial trade partnerships and minimizes the provision of foreign and humanitarian aid that was more typical in past administrations. The Trump administration’s policy in Africa focuses on three key objectives: (1) advancing trade and commercial ties with African states to boost both U.S. and African prosperity; (2) protecting the United States against cross-border security threats or health threats; and (3) supporting African nations’ efforts to stabilize, establish citizen-responsive governance and become self-reliant.
Prior to the announcement of the summit, the Trump administration’s policies toward Africa were not well defined, and there remain several key Africa-focused positions in the National Security Council and the Department of State awaiting nomination and/or announcements. Additionally, the fate of many U.S.-funded development programs remains uncertain despite advocacy thus far from African partners who hope the summit will provide the opportunity to keep some of these aid programs alive.
The Obama and Biden administrations hosted over 50 African country leaders, businesses and civil society organizations in 2014 and 2022 to increase U.S. partnerships in Africa to counter China’s role as a trade and diplomatic partner to the region. Members of Congress continue to be concerned about the growing ties between African nations and China, with some successfully including a provision in the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act to mandate that the United States host a U.S.-African Leaders Summit every two years, starting in 2025.
Opportunities for Investment
In an attempt to further U.S. ties with African partners, previous administrations have used the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment’s (PGI) Lobito Corridor project, and the Prosper Africa program, each with varying degrees of success. In May, Ambassador Troy Fitrell, the senior bureau official for the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, shared the Trump administration’s six-point strategy for increasing U.S. trade and investment in Africa, as follows: (1) promote commercial diplomacy as a component of U.S.-Africa engagement and evaluate how U.S. ambassadors in Africa can advocate for American businesses and the deals they facilitate; (2) work with African government partners in key countries to implement recommendations from the private sector for market reforms, especially tariff and non-tariff barriers; (3) invest private capital and implement sustainable infrastructure projects in key countries; (4) conduct more State Department commercial diplomacy visits; (5) increase business ties between U.S. businesses and the African continent; and (6) reform U.S. trade initiatives to support taking on more risk and to ensure a quick and efficient process to support U.S. businesses.
The summit is an opportunity for the Trump administration to implement its strategy in Africa, including with countries identified as key priorities for U.S. engagement in the region. Speaking about the summit, Ambassador Fitrell noted that the administration planned to promote specific market reforms that African countries should implement to foster a better environment for U.S. investment. He also discussed how the summit would showcase commitments to sustainable economic growth and commercial/market advocacy to increase bilateral business partnerships.
Brownstein understands the issues surrounding critical minerals and rare earths and the existing opportunities to partner with African countries to develop and ensure these minerals’ supply chains for the benefit of the United States that will be a focus of the conference. Industry associations, chambers of commerce and companies are beginning to work with the administration on shared priorities and lines of effort to create investment opportunities in Africa, as well as in the United States, for the continued development of these resources.
In advance of the summit, many African nations, as well as members of Congress, are pushing for the renewal of the AGOA program, updated to reflect modern interests, especially in critical minerals and technology. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AGOA enabled the United States to become sub-Saharan Africa’s largest export destination from 2000–2018. Many U.S. businesses and African nations are highly supportive of the benefits that AGOA provides and have urged that the reauthorization process modernize the legislation to include benefits for the critical mineral sector, technology sector and other critical markets. U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer expressed his support for AGOA’s renewal but emphasized that it is a responsibility of Congress to introduce and pass the reauthorization. Due to signals from both houses and the lack of action on the matter thus far, we do not believe that Congress will reauthorize AGOA before the summit. The summit will, however, provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss new proposals, opportunities and renewed mechanisms to reflect the interests of both the Trump administration and African partner countries.
Brownstein expects the administration will use the summit to underscore continued commitment to the Lobito Corridor Project as another key priority for both the United States and its participating countries, Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ambassador Fitrell has reaffirmed the Trump administration’s support for the Lobito Corridor project and the potential for its expansion. The administration is also considering additional rail lines in West Africa to include the multiuser Liberty Corridor in Liberia and a new rail line along the Mali border through Guinea to help access the critical minerals in the region. Some African nations have also proposed the creation of a “Central Corridor” to increase U.S. investment and projects across Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. Access to critical minerals, particularly those not geologically found in the United States, is especially important as the Trump administration looks to increase U.S. capacity to manufacture critical technology and other products domestically. We anticipate the critical mineral supply chain and infrastructure will be significant components of the summit, as they provide significant opportunities for U.S. investment.
Next Steps
The Trump administration is still finalizing the full details of the U.S.-African Leaders Summit, but the timing of the event, set to occur just before the UN General Assembly, should ensure widespread participation from government officials. Brownstein’s International team has extensive experience connecting industry leaders, U.S. businesses and foreign entities together and with the U.S. or foreign governments. Our team is uniquely positioned and has deep expertise facilitating market entry for U.S. businesses in Africa and establishing strong connections with key government and diplomatic officials to leverage our clients’ needs.
