Renowned  economist  Dr.  Daniel  Bromley  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin  (U.S.)  presented  his  mul>plier  effect  study  results  in  Accra,  Ghana.  The  study  showed  that  increased  sales  of  shea,  cashew  and  handcraDs  significantly  contribute  to  increased  economic  ac>vity  in  West  Africa.  

Increased  sales  in  villages  lead  to  more  economic  ac>vity,  genera>ng  thousands  of  dollars  in  addi>onal  household  income  and  crea>ng  hundreds  of  new  jobs.  Exports  drive  these  sales,  improving  livelihoods  across  West  Africa.  

At  Ambiente,  the  world’s  largest  home  décor  trade  show  held  in  Frankfurt,  Germany,  the  Trade  Hub  facilitated  the  par>cipa>on  of  professional  home  décor  companies  from  West  Africa.  

The  MAGIC  apparel  trade  show  in  Las  Vegas  allowed  Trade  Hub-­‐assisted  apparel  manufacturers  to  meet  hundreds  of  poten>al  buyers  and  led  to  significant  export  orders.  

The  African  Growth  and  Opportunity  Act  was  a  fundamental  force  behind  the  crea>on  of  trade  hubs  in  Africa.  At  the  2011  AGOA  Forum,  the  10th  since  the  law  was  passed  in  2001,  U.S.  Secretary  of  State  Hillary  Clinton  admired  products  made  by  women-­‐owned  businesses.  Secretary  of  State  Clinton  also  launched  the  African  Women’s  Entrepreneurship  Program  during  the  event.  

Deputy  U.S.  Trade  Representa>ve  Demetrios  Maran>s  and  Assistant  U.S.  Trade  Representa>ve  for  Africa  Florizelle  Liser  discussed  business  challenges  with  interna>onal  and  na>onal  expor>ng  companies,  a  member  of  parliament  and  finance  and  transport  service  providers  during  a  roundtable  moderated  by  USAID  Trade  Hub  Director  Vanessa  in  February  2010.  

U.S.  Assistant  Trade  Representa>ve  for  Africa  Florizelle  Liser  discusses  the  challenges  of  expor>ng  with  Nora  Bannerman,  an  apparel  manufacturer  in  Ghana.  

U.S.  Assistant  Trade  Representa>ve  for  Africa  Florizelle  Liser  discusses  expor>ng  issues  with  Comfort  Adjahoe,  founder  and  CEO  of  Ele  Agbe,  a  Ghanaian  handcraDs  exporter  and  president  of  the  African  Women’s  Entrepreneurship  Programme  –  Ghana  Chapter.  

U.S.  Representa>ve  Bobby  Rush  of  Illinois  discusses  expor>ng  issues  during  a  visit  to  the  USAID  Trade  Hub  in  2010.  Rep.  Peter  Roksam  of  Nebraska,  Rep.  F.  James  Sensenbrenner,  Jr.  of  Wisconsin  and  Rep.  Adrian  Smith  of  Nebraska  also  par>cipated  in  the  visit  as  part  of  a  fact-­‐finding  mission  on  how  to  improve  African  exporters’  compe>>veness  in  world  markets.  

U.S.  Ambassador  Donald  Teitelbaum  and  Ghana’s  Minister  of  Trade  and  Industry  Hanna  Te_eh  inaugurated  an  apparel  factory  in  Tema,  Ghana,  in  March  2010.  The  investment  was  facilitated  by  the  USAID  Trade  Hub.  

A  new  apparel  factory  in  Tema,  Ghana,  today  employs  over  300  young  women.  The  investment  was  facilitated  by  the  USAID  Trade  Hub.  

Helinda  Te_eh  is  one  of  the  more  than  300  new  workers  at  an  apparel  factory  in  Tema,  Ghana,  which  was  developed  with  USAID  Trade  Hub  assistance.  

At  interna>onal  trade  shows,  professional  buyers  see  firsthand  the  professional  companies  and  their  products  available  in  West  Africa.  

USAID  Trade  Hub  Home  Décor  &  Fashion  Accessories  Advisor  Elaine  Bellezza  worked  with  dozens  of  handcraDs  producers  to  design  new  collec>ons  for  interna>onal  trade  shows.  

At  the  Fancy  Food  Show  in  the  U.S.,  West  African  specialty  foods  exporters  met  hundreds  of  poten>al  buyers.  

At  the  Smithsonian  Ins>tute’s  annual  Folk  Life  Fes>val  in  Washington,  D.C.,  USAID  Trade  Hub  Director  Vanessa  Adams  met  ar>sans  from  Mali,  where  she  was  a  Peace  Corps  Volunteer.  

Traceability  is  an  increasingly  important  issue  to  consumers.  A  new  piece  of  soDware  developed  by  SAP  makes  use  of  smartphones  to  track  cashew  nuts  and  shea  nuts  from  their  villages  of  origin.  

Trade  Hub  training  workshops  have  reached  3,244  export-­‐ready  companies  across  the  region  –  

including  1,027  owned  by  women.  

The  Trade  Hub  has  worked  closely  with  stakeholders  in  various  sectors  to  develop  industry  brands  –  ACA,  AfricaNow!,  Taste  of  Africa  and  Global  Shea  Alliance  have  increased  the  visibility  of  West  Africa’s  export-­‐ready  companies.  

The  president  of  the  African  Cashew  Alliance,  Idrissa  Kilangi  (leD)  and  the  president  of  the  Global  Shea  Alliance,  Eugenia  Akuete  (leD),  shake  hands  with  Alfred  Braimah  of  ECOWAS  aDer  a  workshop  iden>fying  areas  of  collabora>on.    

More  than  370  stakeholders  par>cipated  in  the  6th  annual  conference  of  the  African  Cashew  Alliance  in  Banjul,  the  Gambia.  The  event  featured  the  first  World  Cashew  Expo,  which  allowed  processors  to  see  firsthand  the  equipment  op>ons  available.  It  also  included  a  business-­‐to-­‐business  event  that  matched  hundreds  of  companies  in  one-­‐on-­‐one  mee>ngs.  Minata  Kone,  who  operates  a  cashew  processing  company  in  Burkina  Faso,  was  elected  to  the  ACA’s  execu>ve  commi_ee  during  the  conference.  

USAID  Trade  Hub  Director  Vanessa  Adams  (center)  and  Global  Shea  Alliance  President  Eugenia  Akuete  discussed  shea  industry  issues  on  Ghana  TV’s  Breakfast  Show  in  April  2011.  

Shea  trees  grow  across  West  Africa  –  and,  in  fact,  all  the  way  to  South  Sudan  and  Uganda.  The  trees’  fruit  and  nut  have  been  a  essen>al  part  of  life  in  Africa  for  thousands  of  years.  

The  annual  Global  Shea  Alliance  conference  brought  more  than  350  shea  industry  stakeholders  to  Accra,  Ghana,  in  April  2011,  including  Peter  Stedman  of  The  Body  Shop.  

Shea  2011:  Sustainable  Solu>ons  allowed  stakeholders  to  address  the  primary  issues  affec>ng  the  industry.  They  saw  firsthand  how  to  graD  shea  trees  (top  leD),  elected  the  Global  Shea  Alliance  execu>ve  commi_ee  (top  center),  connected  to  high-­‐level  VIPs  (top  right),  obtained  prac>cal  training  in  formula>ng  products  (bo_om  leD)  and  benefited  from  support  from  the  industry’s  leading  players  (bo_om  right).  www.globalshea.com    

Stakeholders  are  gearing  up  for  the  next  annual  conference,  April  23-­‐27  in  Cotonou,  Benin.  www.globalshea.com/shea2012    

The  Trade  Hub  facilitated  visits  by  representa>ves  of  shea  producers  in  Mali  to  Ghana  to  learn  more  about  its  shea  industry.  Malian  producers  adopted  new  techniques  as  a  result.  

Thompson  Yao  Avornyortse  of  TY  Kente  in  Ghana  demonstrates  his  master  weaver  techniques  in  the  U.S.    

West  Africa’s  high  transport  costs  and  uncertainty  in  impor>ng  and  expor>ng  are  serious  constraints  to  the  region’s  compe>>veness.  Trade  Hub  comprehensive  studies  on  the  costs  show  the  dire  need  for  improvement.  www.borderlesswa.com    

Checkpoints  con>nue  to  slow  the  movement  of  goods,  people  and  vehicles  across  West  Africa,  and  foster  corrup>on.  This  one  is  in  Mali,  which  led  the  region  in  bribes  and  delays  un>l  Cote  d’Ivoire  was  added  to  the  ini>a>ve  in  2010.  

In  Niger  (top),  transport  stakeholders  discussed  road  governance  issues  affec>ng  the  movement  of  goods  and  people.  The  topic  frequently  inspires  heated  discussion.  Meanwhile,  in  Ghana  (bo_om),  the  Borderless  campaign  led  to  a  mee>ng  between  transport  stakeholders  and  Members  of  Parliament  –  and  an  order  from  the  Commissioner  of  Customs  to  prohibit  informal  agents  from  extor>ng  bribes  from  truck  drivers  at  the  Ghana-­‐Burkina  Faso  border.  

During  a  caravan  in  Ghana  co-­‐sponsored  by  the  Ghana  Shippers’  Authority  and  the  Trade  Hub,  hundreds  of  officials  discussed  road  governance  –  and  how  to  reduce  bribes  and  delays.  

Delays  and  harassment  at  borders  are  a  significant  problem  for  traders.  The  Trade  Hub  launched  a  Border  Informa>on  Center  at  the  Ghana-­‐Togo  border  to  improve  access  to  informa>on.  

ECOWAS  Private  Sector  Director  Alfred  Braimah  discussed  regional  integra>on  during  a  Trade  Hub-­‐organized  workshop.  

The  Trade  Hub  worked  with  Ghana’s  Na>onal  Transporta>on  and  Trade  Facilita>on  Commi_ee  to  publish  the  Truck  Drivers  Guide  –  Ghana  in  2010.  Posters  presented  clear  informa>on  on  regional  axleweight  rules,  which  are  being  implemented  to  prevent  the  rapid  deteriora>on  of  roads  and  improve  safety.  

Since  2006,  the  USAID  Trade  Hub  and  UEMOA  have  collaborated  to  publish  quarterly  reports  on  road  governance.  The  reports  have  raised  awareness  and  led  to  real  change  on  the  ground.  

Overall,  road  harassment  has  dropped  along  primary  interstate  corridors  in  West  Africa.  The  USAID  Trade  Hub-­‐UEMOA  joint  reports  on  checkpoints,  bribes  and  delays  have  raised  awareness  on  the  problem,  leading  to  improvements.  

At  workshops  across  the  region,  the  Trade  Hub  trained  8,933  in  export-­‐related  issues  from  2007-­‐2011.  

In  2010,  the  Trade  Hub  worked  with  transport  stakeholders  to  launch  Borderless,  a  regional  advocacy  campaign  to  increase  trade  in  West  Africa.  

At  a  mee>ng  of  the  prime  ministers  of  Mali  and  Senegal,  the  importance  of  regional  collabora>on  was  emphasized  under  the  Borderless  banner.  

The  Trade  Hub  worked  with  public  and  private  sector  partners  to  launch  the  first  Border  Informa>on  Center  at  the  Ghana-­‐Togo  border.  

Finance  remains  a  primary  obstacle  to  the  growth  of  export-­‐ready  companies  across  West  Africa.  The  Trade  Hub’s  innova>ve  access  to  finance  ini>a>ve  has  led  to  more  than  $8  million  in  loans.  The  ini>a>ve  involved  three  financial  services  consultants,  who  worked  on  a  performance-­‐basis  in  countries  in  three  zones  across  the  region.  

The  Trade  Hub’s  network  of  AGOA  Resource  Centers  cover  the  region,  providing  exporters  with  prac>cal  informa>on  on  all  aspects  of  expor>ng.  At  events  in  The  Gambia  (above),  Liberia  (leD)  and  Mauritania  (below),  the  Trade  Hub  extended  the  reach  of  AGOA.  

The  Trade  Hub  helped  exporters  understand  how  to  use  ICT  effec>vely,  assis>ng  them  in  crea>ng  and  maintaining  websites  and  using  produc>vity  soDware  to  lower  costs.  

The  Trade  Hub’s  communica>ons  program  has  raised  visibility  of  West  African  products  through  branding  and  aggressive  use  of  every  available  communica>ons  channel,  including  social  media.  “Like”  the  Trade  Hub  on  Facebook  and  follow  the  Trade  Hub  on  Twi_er  (@watradehub)!  An  extensive  library  includes  hundreds  of  documents  on  the  Trade  Hub’s  website,  www.watradehub.com.    

The  Trade  Hub  team  poses  for  a  photo  aDer  its  2011  work  planning  mee>ng.