TradePosts
JANUARY 24, 2022
Message from
USTDA's Acting Director
I would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year. 2021 was a flagship year for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and we are optimistic that 2022 will bring similar outstanding results for our partners at home and abroad. On this subject, I encourage everyone to read USTDA’s recently released Annual Report, which highlights several of the successes that came to fruition in 2021.
 
USTDA is a foreign assistance agency with a mandate to support U.S. jobs through exports. This makes us truly unique. Last year, USTDA announced a record-breaking return on investment and the highest since its founding in 1992. We are now generating an average of $117 in U.S. exports for every dollar we program toward advancing infrastructure projects in emerging markets. The Agency’s programs have now supported more than $76 billion in U.S. exports, helping companies create good-paying jobs, including small businesses in 370 communities across the United States. 
 
USTDA’s results speak to the Agency’s unique mission and value proposition to U.S. industry and emerging markets around the world. In my opinion, USTDA sets a new standard for the delivery of American foreign assistance thanks to its talented staff, dedicated overseas partners, and the innovation of U.S. businesses and workers whose ‘Made-in-America’ solutions are second to none.
 
In the year ahead, we will continue to advance our mission of developing quality infrastructure in emerging markets by partnering with U.S. industry in vital economic sectors such as clean energy and transportation, information and communications technology, healthcare infrastructure, and agribusiness.
 
We look forward to working with you in 2022. 


Stay safe and be well,

Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally (Ret.) 
Acting Director
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
USTDA in Action
Annual Report Spotlights: Global Climate Partnership
Nigeria

A USTDA feasibility study will help connect more than 200,000 women, farmers, and rural citizens to new solar-powered minigrids in Kaduna, Kogi and Plateau states. The study will include site surveys, preliminary engineering, economic and financial analyses and an assessment of the project’s likely developmental impacts on rural women. USTDA’s engagement will also create business opportunities for U.S. equipment and services suppliers in Nigeria’s minigrid sector, while supporting up to 20 megawatts of new solar power for rural communities.
Pakistan

USTDA is funding a feasibility study to advance a renewable biofuels project in Karachi that will make the land, water, and air cleaner and create a more livable environment for the city’s residents. The project involves processing waste into a sustainable, renewable source of energy that will facilitate the decarbonization of Pakistan’s economy while opening new commercial opportunities for U.S. companies.
Thailand

USTDA is funding the development of a roadmap to advance efforts by SCG International Corporation Co., Ltd. to electrify its vehicle fleets and deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country. This partnership will catalyze private sector investment to support Thailand’s green economic transition and bring substantial benefits, including improved air quality. In addition, the project will expand opportunities for U.S. companies to partner with Thailand as it seeks high-quality EV solutions in support of its climate priorities.