Agreement announced during UNGA81 by Ministers from Lesotho, Mauritius, and Kenya
NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S.-Africa Trade Desk (USATD), alongside governments from Mauritius, Lesotho, and Kenya, formally announced the Trans-Atlantic Cotton Partnership (TACP), marking a historic milestone in U.S.-Africa trade engagement and reinforcing America’s role as a leading global supplier of agricultural products to Africa.
Much more than a program, TACP is a seminal shift in how the USA and African countries work together to execute reciprocal trade. By using traceable US-grown cotton shipped directly from the U.S. to Africa, African producers are able to utilize the highest quality fiber on the planet, while US consumers benefit from lower costs at their local retailer and increased confidence in finished products like blue jeans and t-shirts, because they will be able to point to the exact farm in the US, and the exact manufacturing plant in Africa, before making a decision to spend their money.
The Partnership was launched during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City and witnessed by select private sector, investors, and government partners. The Right Honorable Prime Minister of Lesotho Sam Matekane delivered the keynote address, saying, “Through this partnership, we have an opportunity to build something much larger than the cotton trading arrangement. We have an opportunity to connect two continents through a productive industrial relationship.”
Among those signing onto TACP were the Honorable Minister of Industry, SMEs and Cooperatives, Ameer Meea, who added: “American cotton can leave the United States, be transformed through African industry and craftsmanship, and return to the American market as finished garments. That creates value on both sides of the Atlantic, and it is exactly the kind of partnership Mauritius wants to build with the United States.” He continued, “Mauritius wants to trade more with the United States, but I do not ask American investors to look only at a market of 1.3 million people; I invite them to use Mauritius as a trusted platform from which to invest across Africa.”
The Honorable Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry for the Republic of Kenya, said, “Developing integrated cotton, textile, and apparel value chains is essential for Africa’s industrialization and export growth. While Kenya excels in garment assembly, connecting to global value chains expands export reach and capacity. We value this strategic partnership which aligns regional capacity with global market standards. Through this initiative we seek to position Kenya as a sustainable textile and apparel manufacturing hub.”
USATD is pioneering a demand-driven trade approach that directly connects U.S. suppliers with African buyers, and vice versa, while advancing compliance, logistics, and financing systems to enable seamless cross-border commerce of finished products using U.S. goods for U.S. consumers. To learn more, please visit www.usafricatradedesk.com.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jeremy Faber, Director of Government Affairs
Email: jfaber@usatd.org
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SOURCE US Africa Trade Desk
