Africa Claims 9 of 20 Fastest-Growing Economies as US Exports Jump 23% After USAID Cuts
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 16
Africa Claims 9 of 20 Fastest-Growing Economies as US Exports Jump 23% After USAID Cuts
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 16
Summary
Nine of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies are now in Africa, a senior State Department official said, arguing growth accelerated after the Trump administration shifted from aid to trade and slashed USAID funding.
U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa rose 23% in 2025 to $22.6 billion, while the Bureau of African Affairs says it has closed 37 commercial transactions worth $25.67 billion since Trump’s second term began.
IMF projections cited in the report put sub-Saharan Africa’s 2026 growth at 4.3% to 4.6%, ahead of Asia’s roughly 4.1%, with hydroelectric projects, construction, mining and coffee exports driving the expansion.
The administration says the strategy pairs trade with targeted health deals, including 34 bilateral MOUs worth more than $24 billion—24 of them with sub-Saharan African countries—to preserve care while reducing long-term dependency.
That tougher approach also includes a phased PEPFAR drawdown in South Africa, which U.S. officials say failed to meet policy requests despite being a middle-income country able to fund more of its own health programs.