The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies.

USTDA strategically facilitates export opportunities for U.S. companies and supports sustainable development in dynamic markets all around the world. In fiscal year 2019 alone, USTDA identified $6.7 billion in U.S. exports to emerging economies, resulting from programming that facilitated early-stage infrastructure development. During the most recent 10-year evaluation period, USTDA identified more than $111 in exports for every $1 it invested in its programming, a record return for the Agency, the American people and U.S. jobs. Since 1992, USTDA's programs have contributed to more than $73 billion in U.S. exports.

 

Our Mission

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency connects America’s private sector to infrastructure projects in developing and middle-income countries. USTDA accomplishes its mission by funding feasibility studies, technical assistance and pilot projects that integrate the expertise and innovation of American companies. The Agency also connects overseas buyers with U.S. sellers through its reverse trade missions, industry conferences and workshops. Unique among federal agencies, USTDA is mandated to promote the participation of U.S. industry in infrastructure projects at the critical early stages when design choices and technology options are being defined.

 

Our Services

• Feasibility Studies and Technical Assistance - USTDA funds the comprehensive analyses that infrastructure projects need to move from concept to financing and implementation.
• Pilot Projects - USTDA tests U.S. equipment and technology in overseas settings to promote cutting-edge U.S. solutions and identify new development opportunities for scalability and replicability throughout emerging markets.
• Reverse Trade Missions - USTDA brings foreign project sponsors to the United States to observe the design, manufacture and operation of American products and services that best support their infrastructure improvement goals. These engagements also introduce overseas decision-makers to U.S. business leaders and develop essential relationships promoting trade and development.
• Conferences and Workshops - USTDA organizes sector and region-specific events to connect U.S. firms with foreign buyers, highlight upcoming infrastructure projects overseas and showcase U.S. goods and services. 
• Training Grants - Under limited circumstances, USTDA can provide support to U.S. firms competing for international infrastructure tenders via a “training grant”, if it is found that the U.S. firm(s) face an unlevel playing field and competitive disadvantage as a result of their non-U.S. competitors offering additional incentives to the project sponsor (beyond the tender requirements) made possible by governmental support. U.S. companies may request that USTDA help level the playing field by offering a grant (conditioned on the selection of the U.S. bidder) to the project sponsor to fund the cost of beneficial training.  In no case may the grant exceed 3% of the total contract value or 1 million SDR, whichever is less.

 

Our Initiatives

• Global Procurement Initiative - In 2013, USTDA launched the Global Procurement Initiative (GPI): Understanding Best Value to improve the overall outcome of public procurements in emerging economies. GPI helps public officials utilize tools such as life-cycle cost analysis to guide their procurement decisions and consider the total cost of ownership of their infrastructure investments.
• Making Global Local - To connect American businesses with USTDA’s export promotion program, the Agency launched Making Global Local (MGL) on World Trade Day in 2012. MGL is an alliance of more than 80 partnerships with export promotion organizations in 33 U.S. states. This initiative supports the creation of U.S. jobs by connecting cities and towns across the country with USTDA's export-promotion programs. Through MGL, the Agency forges innovative partnerships with state, city, and local business development and trade promotion organizations.
• U.S. Gas Infrastructure Exports Initiative - USTDA and U.S. industry launched the U.S. Gas Infrastructure Exports Initiative in 2017 to connect American companies to export opportunities across the gas value chain in emerging economies. Under the initiative, USTDA uses the full breadth of its proven toolkit to support American gas industry jobs including early- stage project preparation assistance that informs how infrastructure projects will ultimately be designed, financed and implemented. The Initiative builds on USTDA’s leadership in the gas sector, supporting more than 300 projects in over 70 countries, which has generated $7.5 billion in U.S. gas sector exports.