USATD continued its on-the-ground engagements in Benin with a visit to a cashew processing facility operating within established international supply chains. The facility focuses on primary cashew processing at origin, including deshelling, with shelled kernels prepared for export. Roasting and final processing are completed in the United States, reflecting a value chain where different stages […]
USATD held a series of insightful meetings and site visits at textile and apparel production facilities in Benin last Friday, gaining first-hand perspective on the country’s evolving textile ecosystem. The engagement focused on apparel manufacturing operations, local workforce participation, and how integrated textile production at origin connects to global apparel value chains, including the U.S. […]
Frances Fraser, our Director of Continental Services, joined Solina Moodley's butter chicken masterclass — bringing a trade lens to a room full of flavor. U.S. consumers are leaning into international profiles. Africa has the spices, the aromatics, and the origin stories. The opportunity is in connecting the two. That's the work that we execute.
We were in Orlando this week for IDDBA 2026 — walking the floor, tasting everything in sight, and taking notes on where the dairy, deli, and bakery space is headed. A few things that stood out: Clean ingredients are taking center stage. Shorter ingredient lists, whole foods, and products free of preservatives were some of […]
From these “promiscuous palates” to the push for wider non‑dairy choices and whole foods with more recognizable ingredient lists, the mood at this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show was all about adventurous taste and transparency. African producers are already answering that call with distinctive sauces, spices, nut‑based snacks, and innovative plant‑forward products. While U.S. brands […]
The U.S.-Africa Trade Desk is excited to be co-exhibiting with MCT Midlands Commodity Trading Company at AFEC 2026, taking place from 15–16 July at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi. This marks USATD’s first time participating in the Africa Feed Exhibition and Conference, and we are pleased to join one of the region’s important platforms […]
From August 19 - 22, we'll be at the 126th National Business League (NBL) Annual Conference, hosted by the National Alliance for Black Business (NABB) - a coalition uniting NBL, the World Conference of Mayors, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and other leading Black business institutions. This year's theme, "The Book of AI™: Booker […]
