USTDA announces near-record FY 2026 results

CHAMWE KAIRA

The US Trade and Development Agency announced its fiscal year 2026 results, achieving one of USTDA’s strongest returns in the Agency’s 34-year history: US$203 in US exports for every dollar programmed.

Since its establishment in 1992, USTDA has facilitated nearly US$$134 billion in U.S. exports to the infrastructure projects it has supported in emerging markets.

“These results demonstrate the enduring, long-term effectiveness of USTDA’s programme and an exceptional return on investment for American taxpayers,” said Thomas R. Hardy, USTDA’s deputy director.

“USTDA carries out a strategic foreign policy function, advancing American economic and security interests by helping our partners address their critical infrastructure priorities. Our role as the US government’s first mover on overseas infrastructure development means we position American companies to compete from the outset, export their innovative solutions, and support American jobs.”

USTDA measures its export results using an “export multiplier,” which is the average value of US exports supported for every dollar of congressional funding programmed.

The multiplier, currently 203 to one, is based on a 10-year average to reflect the long timeline of infrastructure projects, from planning to implementation.

For more than 30 years, USTDA has used a rigorous monitoring and evaluation process to measure project-specific results.

This approach gives a consistent and reliable picture of program effectiveness, informing strategic planning, helping to shape new activities, and strengthening the Agency’s use of its funds.

It also ensures a credible and significant link between USTDA-funded activities and the U.S. exports they support.

The US Trade and Development Agency is the US government’s first mover on critical infrastructure development in emerging markets, advancing the shared strategic priorities of the United States and our overseas partners while creating opportunities to deploy trusted US solutions.

USTDA funds the upfront technical work that accelerates the development of infrastructure projects, helping them attract the financing they need for implementation and procurement of US goods and services.

In August, a senior US delegation concluded a week of high-level engagements in Namibia focused on expanding cooperation across energy, critical minerals, infrastructure, and investment.

US Ambassador John Giordano was joined by deputy under-secretary of energy Mike Kopp, USTDA, country manager for Africa and the Middle East Sonja Horgen for meetings with senior Namibian government officials, industry leaders, state-owned enterprises, and private-sector partners.

In addition to representing the United States at the Namibian Mining Expo, the delegation met with minister of industries, mines, and energy, Modestus Amutse to explore strategies to expand US-Namibia cooperation in critical minerals, energy infrastructure, high-value industrial investment, and emerging technologies.