U.S. Embassy Participates in Addis Chamber Trade Fair

U.S. Charge d'Affaires, Ambassador Vicki Huddleston, and Ethiopia's Minister of Trade and Industry, Ato Girma Birru, opened the U.S. Embassy booth at the 10th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair, which was held at the Exhibition Center in Addis Ababa on February 23, 2006.

The U.S. Embassy participated in the trade fair to promote U.S. government development programs and policies in support of US-Ethiopia business links. The developmental programs included the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Growing Ethiopian Market (Support for Ethiopian exports in coffee, leather and cereals), Finding US Partners, Products and Services, and Development Credit Authority (DCA)- Loan guarantee program. The U.S. Embassy provided a separate counseling corner where it gave a one-to-one counseling to a number of visitors who required the services. This is the second consecutive time that the U.S. Embassy participated in a similar trade fair. Prominent Ethio-American business people, investors and other guests were invited to the fair.

In addition, the U.S. Embassy also organized a closed half-day seminar "Doing Business with the U.S." where more than 50 people from different sectors participated.

The trade fair closed on March 1st. A record number 290 local and foreign companies took part in the fair with 125 foreign and 165 local exhibitors. The foreign participants came from 26 different countries.