U.S. "Trade Over Aid" Initiative

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Oyiza Adaba - Africa-Related, New York

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026

U.S. Mission to U.N. Hosts Event on Aid to Developing Countries. Images courtesy of NYSE Group.

The U.S. is no longer comfortable with simply handing aid to developing countries. It is now seeking new partners, and thus far, 46 countries have signed up. The Trade Over Aid Initiative was launched on April 27, 2026 at the New York Stock Exchange. It was then followed in July by a forum event themed Opening Markets for Mutually Beneficial Economic Growth.

What are the objectives of the Trade Over Aid Group of Friends?

The Trade Over Aid Initiative seeks to: 

1. Advance the values outlined in the Trade Over Aid Declaration of Principles. We will encourage countries to make pro-business reforms resulting in an enabling environment for mutually beneficial international economic relations.

2. Facilitate dialogue between governments, the private sector, and UN and other international organizations to identify concrete actions and reforms necessary to attract investment and facilitate trade. 

3. Showcase success stories from countries that have made progress toward their development objectives through free-market reforms. 

4. Explore mutually beneficial business partnerships connecting developing countries with investment sources and technical expertise from the United States and other advanced economies, and from international organizations. 

Digital Library of Capacity Building Offers

A key part of the Trade Over Aid Initiative is a digital library of capacity building offers from the U.S. and non-U.S. private sector and government agencies, international organizations, and NGOs. The library is available to all countries supporting the Initiative.

• Number of Offers in Library: 63

• Number of Contributors: 46

• Private Sector Contributors: 29

• U.S. Government Agency Contributors: 3

• Foreign Government Contributors: 5

• International Organization Contributors: 2

• Philanthropy Contributors: 7

Where can a UN Member State sign up? 

Permanent Missions are invited to express their interest in the initiative by registering at the Expression of Interest: U.S. Trade Over Aid Initiative form.

Countries Signed Up – Total: 46

Africa

1. Djibouti

2. Kenya

3. Lesotho

4. Morocco

5. Nigeria

6. Uganda

Europe

1. Albania

2. Armenia

3. Czechia

4. Estonia

5. Israel

6. Lithuania

7. North Macedonia

8. Romania

9. Serbia

South/Central Asia

1. Kazakhstan

2. Kyrgyzstan

3. Mongolia

4. Pakistan

5. Tajikistan

6. Turkmenistan

7. Uzbekistan

East Asia and Pacific

1. Cambodia

2. Fiji

3. Micronesia (Federated States of)

4. Naoero

5. Palau

6. Philippines

7. Singapore

8. Sri Lanka

9. Thailand

Middle East

1. Kuwait

2. Qatar

3. Saudi Arabia

4. Syrian Arab Republic

5. United Arab Emirates

Western Hemisphere

1. Antigua and Barbuda

2. Argentina

3. Chile

4. Costa Rica

5. Dominican Republic

6. Ecuador

7. Guatemala

8. Honduras

9. Panama

10. Paraguay

OUTCOMES: Ambassador Dan Negrea

A press briefing hosted by the Foreign Press Center was held on July 15, 2026 with Ambassador Dan Negrea, - the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and Alternate Representative of the United States to the Sessions of the General Assembly

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