The East Africa Trade and Investment Hub is partnering with a new business-to-business platform operated by global shipping and logistics giant Maersk Group in a bid to simplify trade with and within Africa.

The Hub, an initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this month with business-to-business platform Fromtu.

As part of the agreement, the Hub will provide Fromtu with market intelligence on trade and business opportunities specific to the platform, including information on East African companies seeking trade and export opportunities and on international trade regulations and standards. The facilitation of business linkages is integral in the Hub’s work in promoting intra-regional and international trade, particularly under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

“While traditionally the development community engages with private firms to take on subsidised programmes and make them sustainable, in this particular case the Hub is merely providing technical support to a private sector led initiative, simply strengthening an already sustainable innovation,” explains Juan Estrada, the Hub’s chief of party.

In addition, the Hub will support Fromtu in facilitating and setting up meetings with companies looking to utilise the platform.

The partnership is in line with the Hub’s goal of connecting East African and US businesses to attract investment that drives economic growth and transforms the East African private sector into vibrant global trading partners.

Source: Just Style

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