New Bill Targets 200% Export Surge to Africa & Latin America Within 10 Years to Boost US Jobs

Congress is considering a plan, the "Increasing American Jobs Through Greater United States Exports to Africa and Latin America Act of 2025," which sets a bold target: boosting U.S. exports to Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean by 200% in real dollar value (that means adjusted for inflation) within the next ten years. The explicit goal, laid out in Section 2, is to create more American jobs by significantly increasing the sale of U.S. goods and services in these regions through a mix of public and private investment, trade initiatives, and development efforts.

Setting the Stage: A 10-Year Export Push

The core of the bill requires the President to develop a comprehensive U.S. strategy to hit that 200% export growth target. This isn't just a suggestion box exercise; the President has 200 days after the bill's enactment to submit this detailed plan to Congress. The strategy development process must involve consultation with Congress, relevant government agencies (like Commerce, State, Treasury), multilateral development banks (think World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank), and the private sector. A progress report tracking how things are going is required within three years.

Making It Happen: Coordinators, Training, and Trade Missions

To drive this effort, the Secretary of Commerce is directed to appoint two new roles: Special Export Strategy Coordinators, one focused on Africa and the other on Latin America and the Caribbean. These coordinators will be the point people, overseeing the strategy's creation and rollout, and working across various government committees and agencies. The bill also calls for standardizing the training U.S. officials receive on programs offered by key agencies like the Export-Import Bank, the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Trade and Development Agency (TDA). The idea is to ensure officials stationed overseas know exactly how to help U.S. businesses navigate these export-support tools, with a deadline for this training within one year. Additionally, the bill expresses Congress's view that top officials should undertake joint trade missions to these regions soon.

The Balancing Act: Jobs, Growth, and Global Impact

While the primary aim is clearly stated as increasing American jobs, the bill includes language about considering the impact of these increased U.S. exports on the economies and job markets within the importing countries. It specifically mentions improving supply chains and stabilizing economic growth in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This suggests an awareness that simply flooding markets isn't the goal; there's an intended focus on potentially mutual benefits. For instance, a U.S. equipment manufacturer might find new customers in Ghana, creating jobs back home, while potentially helping Ghanaian businesses improve efficiency. However, the success of this balancing act—boosting U.S. jobs while fostering sustainable growth abroad—will depend heavily on the specifics of the strategy and how effectively it's implemented by the coordinators and trained officials on the ground.