The Trump administration is dialing up its commercial pitch to Africa, shifting from an aid-heavy model to one rooted in investment, infrastructure, and dealmaking — and an “America First” foreign policy.

This new “trade not aid” approach came into sharp focus during a visit this month by the U.S. State Department’s top Africa official, Troy Fitrell, to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. There he unveiled a new six-point plan focused on market reforms and infrastructure projects aimed at creating market opportunities for American companies.

The strategy comes at a moment of deep uncertainty. Institutions such as the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation, which once played a key role in facilitating trade and investment on the continent, have been gutted. The African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, which was designed to boost U.S.-Africa trade, faces dim prospects for renewal after its expiry in September, according to experts. And USAID, which also played a role in supporting U.S.-Africa trade, has been dismantled.

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