USTDA generates an average of $231 in U.S. exports for every dollar it programs. Since its inception, the Agency has supported more than $119 billion in U.S. exports to infrastructure projects in emerging economies, helping companies create good-paying jobs across the United States.
Arlington, VA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency is hosting a delegation of Ecuadorian public procurement officials through July 30 as part of a deepening partnership to support Ecuador’s development of high-quality, resilient infrastructure. The study tour is the latest component of Ecuador’s comprehensive procurement assistance program under USTDA’s Global Procurement Initiative (GPI), a partnership that was first announced by the White House in December 2022. The study tour will focus on international best practices for obtaining best value in government procurement.
While in the United States, the 18-member delegation from Ecuador’s National Public Procurement Service will travel to San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, DC, for meetings with federal, state and local government procurement counterparts, multilateral organizations, U.S. private sector organizations and academia. USTDA will also host trainings tailored to Ecuador’s self-identified needs.
To date, GPI has trained more than 450 Ecuadorian public procurement officials through in-person and virtual instruction. Future GPI programming is expected to include a simulation of a procurement lifecycle, as well as three training sessions on life-cycle cost analysis for senior leaders and ICT procurement.
Launched in 2013, USTDA’s GPI trains public officials in emerging economies on how to establish procurement practices and policies that integrate life-cycle cost analysis and best value determination in a fair, transparent manner. GPI helps partner countries acquire high-quality, long-lasting technologies, while building smart, sustainable infrastructure with overall savings to their government. These procurement methods also open markets to greater international competition. GPI leverages the expertise of its institutional partners and collaborators, which include universities, multilateral development banks and government entities.
The study tour supports U.S. government priorities including the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity and Americas RISE for Health.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | press@ustda.gov
Arlington, VA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will bring a delegation of Brazilian electricity sector decision-makers to the United States in support of Brazil’s grid modernization and resiliency goals. The visit will connect the delegation with U.S. digital technology expertise in support of ongoing efforts to further grid resiliency, efficiency and reliability.
While in the United States from July 28 to August 7, the 13-member delegation of government and private sector representatives will travel to Chicago, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC to meet U.S. companies and see demonstrations of cutting-edge U.S. technologies. The delegation will also meet with U.S. federal and state government entities to discuss best practices, including a tour of the communications lab of California’s largest energy utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
On July 30 USTDA will host a public business briefing in Washington, DC, where the delegates will profile sector-specific commercial opportunities and meet one-on-one with U.S. companies to learn about their capabilities and solutions. For more information, please visit: https://www.ustda.gov/events/.
The U.S. private sector is a recognized leader in advanced energy distribution technologies, including smart grid solutions and cybersecurity measures, which play a critical role in making grids more stable, efficient, and able to integrate new renewable energy sources. Brazil has one of the cleanest generation matrices in the world and supplies electricity domestically to over 90 million residential, commercial, and industrial users, surpassing the combined power output of all other South American nations. Further grid efficiency and resilience are among Brazil’s highest priorities in the sector, contributing to the country’s decarbonization goals.
The reverse trade mission supports the U.S. government’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment to deliver game-changing projects to close the infrastructure gap in countries like Brazil and USTDA’s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure that connects U.S. industry to major clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects in emerging economies.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | press@ustda.gov
Arlington, VA – Today, U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Enoh T. Ebong signed a grant agreement with Bulgaria’s state-owned electricity transmission company, Elektroenergien Sistemen OperatorEAD (ESO), to advance new transmission infrastructure that will both ease the integration of new renewable energy sources and increase ESO’s capacity to export electricity to Bulgaria’s neighbors.
“This partnership with ESO will further Bulgaria’s renewable energy, climate, and economic ambitions and catalyze benefits across Europe,” said Director Ebong. “By leveraging U.S. technologies, USTDA’s engagement will help mitigate the climate crisis by supporting Bulgaria’s goals of decarbonizing its power sector and providing additional capacity for renewable energy resources.”
USTDA’s grant will fund a feasibility study to assess the expansion of Bulgaria’s transmission grid, with the goal of increasing cross-border capacity by 2,000 MW at each of its borders with Greece, North Macedonia, Romania and Türkiye. In addition to increasing export capacity, the project will ease the introduction of new renewable power onto Bulgaria’s grid and facilitate its transmission without impacting the grid’s stability.
Bulgaria seeks to decarbonize its power sector through the phaseout of coal-fired power plants and the deployment of renewable energy resources, and the added transmission capacity will facilitate the deployment of renewable resources ahead of decommissioning existing coal-fired power plants.
“I am grateful for the active collaboration between ESO and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency in the recent months; it led to today’s signing of the agreement for grant funding of the feasibility study of the East-West Energy Corridor,” said Mr. Angelin Tsachev, CEO of ESO. “The implementation of the project is key to achieving the objectives of decarbonization and increasing cross-border grid capacity for the transmission of electricity generated from renewable energy sources. Meetings held with the electricity transmission operators of Türkiye, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro have confirmed the viability of the project.”
U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten welcomed the feasibility study, saying: “This project will help improve system efficiency, reduce costs for consumers and companies, support integration of renewable-energy generation and distribution, and help lower carbon and other emissions. It is an important step towards a greener future for Bulgaria and the region.”
U.S. businesses interested in submitting proposals for the USTDA-funded feasibility studyshould visit www.ustda.gov/work/bid-on-an-overseas-project.
USTDA’s assistance advances Biden-Harris Administration priorities including the Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience and USTDA’s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure. It also supports the European Energy Security and Diversification Act, which prioritizes assistance to develop energy infrastructure in Europe and Eurasia.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | press@ustda.gov
Arlington, VA – U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Enoh T. Ebong will travel to Bulgaria and Romania from July 20-24 to advance Southeast Europe’s energy security and clean energy transition. In Bulgaria, Director Ebong will award a feasibility study grant to support the expansion of new cross-border electricity transmission infrastructure. In Romania, she will speak at an event furthering a USTDA-supported nuclear power project and join the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC).
“USTDA’s portfolio in Eastern Europe will help deploy innovative nuclear power technologies and energy infrastructure that will benefit the entire region,” said Director Ebong. “USTDA is delighted to create opportunities for U.S. companies to partner with Bulgaria and Romania on groundbreaking projects that these countries have established as their priorities.”
In Sofia on July 22, Director Ebong will sign a grant agreement with Bulgaria’s state-owned electricity transmission company, Elektroenergien Sistemen OperatorEAD (ESO) to advance new transmission infrastructure that will both ease the integration of new renewable energy sources and increase ESO’s capacity to export electricity to neighboring Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, and Türkiye.
During the P-TECC meeting in Bucharest on July 24, Director Ebong will speak at an event to mark a milestone toward the implementation of a USTDA-supported small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant project in Romania. In 2021, USTDA funded technical assistance that resulted in the selection of U.S.-based NuScale Power as the provider of the SMR technology. USTDA, in collaboration with other U.S. agencies, subsequently awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study to lay a roadmap for project implementation. USTDA’s work on the project is one component of the Agency’s civil nuclear energy portfolio in Eastern Europe.
USTDA’s portfolio in Bulgaria and Romania advances numerous Biden-Harris Administration priorities, including the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and USTDA’s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | press@ustda.gov
Arlington, VA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has announced that it has approved funding, subject to Congressional notification, to organize a regional healthcare regulatory convergence workshop under the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. The public-private workshop will develop action-oriented outcomes to improve market access for essential medical products across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The event will focus on ways to harmonize regulatory systems across Americas Partnership countries and with global best practices, while offering training on best value procurement practices that get countries the highest quality infrastructure for their money. It will take place in the region and provide opportunities for attendees to network and connect with industry leaders and government decision-makers.
This event will build on USTDA’s longstanding partnerships with many Americas Partnership countries on priority infrastructure projects. For example, USTDA is supporting the development of a clean energy project in Colombia, a power sector modernization project in Costa Rica, energy storage regulations in the Dominican Republic, an intelligent transportation systems modernization project in Ecuador, and a digital connectivity project in Mexico.
USTDA’s workshop will advance the goals of Americas RISE for Health to accelerate regulatory improvements, reduce trade and investment barriers, and build more resilient supply chains. It will also support other Biden-Harris Administration priorities, such as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | press@ustda.gov