Washington
November 26, 2012
U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez is leading a multisector trade mission to Zambia and South Africa November 26–30.
The mission is the first-ever U.S. Department of Commerce–led trade mission to Zambia. A delegation composed of representatives from 14 U.S. firms is joining Sánchez on stops in Lusaka, Zambia, and Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. At each stop, participating companies will meet with key government decisionmakers and prospective private-sector partners.
“Expanding our trade and investment relationship with sub-Saharan Africa continues to be a critical component of President Obama’s commercial diplomacy strategy,” Sánchez said in a November 23 Commerce Department press release announcing the mission.
“Zambia and South Africa both offer extraordinary opportunities to U.S. companies seeking to introduce their quality products and services to important emerging markets,” Sánchez said.
In the first half of 2012, U.S. goods exports to sub-Saharan Africa increased by 4.6 percent from the same period in 2011, the Commerce Department said. South Africa is the largest U.S. export market in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2011, total U.S.–South Africa trade was $16.7 billion, up from $13.9 billion in 2010.
U.S. exports to Zambia have increased more than 27 percent to nearly $111 million thus far in 2012 when compared to the same period in 2011. U.S.-Zambia total bilateral trade more than doubled in 2011.
The following companies were selected for participation in the trade mission:
1. AAR Corporation – Wood Dale, Illinois
2. Case New Holland – Chicago, Illinois
3. Dow Chemical – Midland, Michigan
4. Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. – LaGrange, Illinois
5. General Electric Company – Fairfield, Connecticut
6. Greeley and Hansen LLC – Chicago, Illinois
7. Hybas International LLC – Houston, Texas
8. Kanawha Scales and Systems, Inc. – Poca, West Virginia
9. Mabey, Inc. – Elkridge, Maryland
10. Symbion Power LLC – Washington, D.C.
11. Synergics Energy Services – Annapolis, Maryland
12. Trimble Navigation Ltd. – Sunnyvale, California
13. Water Services, Inc. – Provo, Utah
14. Zanbato – Mountain View, California
This trade mission advances President Obama’s U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, which intensifies U.S. efforts to spur economic growth, trade and investment in sub-Saharan Africa. It also supports President Obama’s goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014.