The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently organized an event in Cairo aimed at linking Egypt's exporters with local service providers. The gathering, supported by the U.S. Embassy, drew participation from over 1,000 companies, including both large firms and small to medium enterprises. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with more than 60 export service providers and gain insights into current trade trends and export issues.
"In partnership with the Ministry of Trade, USAID sponsored this event to help exporters take full advantage of market opportunities in the international market," stated Sherry F. Carlin, director of the USAID mission in Egypt. She emphasized that "connections to in-country export resources and specialized service providers can help exporters expand their sales and increase Egypt’s economic growth."
During the event, USAID announced a collaboration with Microsoft Egypt to create an online platform named 'Exporter’s Souk'. This virtual space aims to facilitate connections between private sector exporters and essential export resource providers. It will also link to databases containing export studies, resource lists, and training courses.
Participants had access not only to exhibitors but also attended presentations on various trade topics delivered by specialists. These sessions covered areas such as identifying new markets for exports, exploring logistics solutions, securing financing options, leveraging digital marketing and e-commerce tools, and enhancing packaging for key markets. These efforts align with USAID's objective of overcoming constraints within Egypt's trade environment by increasing awareness of special trade agreements, intellectual property rights protection, and public-private partnerships.
This initiative is part of a broader technical assistance package from the American people focused on job creation, economic recovery, private sector growth, and strengthening trade and investment climates in Egypt. Over two years through activities led by USAID under U.S. Embassy oversight have generated new or improved full-time jobs for over 40 thousand individuals alongside short-term employment opportunities for another 20 thousand people. Since 1975 nearly $30 billion has been invested into Egyptian development projects by Americans via USAID contributions.