The Bay Area Africa Initiative was created in support of increased trade between the United States and Africa. The Oakland Export Assistance Center is a strong advocate and supporter of this initiative. Below is a history of our office's Africa-related events:
June 2007
West Africa Wine Tasting Videoconference
Monday, June 4, 2007
The U.S. Commercial Service in Oakland and Dakar, Senegal partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) conducted a virtual wine tasting to promote California wineries to importers in West Africa. For more information on this event, visit http://www.buyusa.gov/oakland/westafricawinetasting.html.
April 2006
West Africa Safety & Security Matchmaker
Monday, April 10, 2006
The Oakland Export Assistance Center hosted a West African Buyer delegation for business matchmaking meetings with local U.S. businesses. This event was part of our office's efforts to promote increased U.S. exports to Africa. For more information on the West Africa Safety & Security Matchmaker, please go to http://www.buyusa.gov/oakland/westafricasafetysecurity.html.
October 2005
Expanding Trade with Kenya & Tanzania
Friday, October 7, 2005
As part of the Oakland Export Assistance Center's support of the Bay Area Africa Initiative, Director Rod Hirsch partnered with the Bay Area World Trade Center, Peralta Community College, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee, CA-9, to host the Ambassadors of Kenya and Tanzania to the United States. At the event, Director Hirsch gave a presentation on the U.S. Commercial Service and its Africa Team and shared his experiences in Africa with an audience of over 100 participants.
Photo - Expanding Trade with Kenya & Tanzania
April 2005
Single Company Promotion for NeedleZap
Dakar, Senegal
April 20005
While on a Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY) to Central and West Africa, the director of the Oakland Export Assistance Center assisted the U.S. Commercial Service's Dakar, Senegal office with a Single Product Promotion for NeedleZap, a U.S. company which exports devices that fully destrys used hypodermic needles. As a result of the Single Product Promotion, ZeedleZap found a local African partner to introduce the company's product in Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea Conakry, and Senegal. Representatives of local clinics and hospitals were impressed with the speed and efficiency with which the device destrys used hypodermic needles. Through the use of this device, local authorities hope to not only decrease the incidences of accidental needle pricks by health care providers, but also ensure that infected needles are properly disposed and cease to be a general health hazard.
In a letter to Commercial Service Dakar, company representative Didi Anekwe wrote: "I wanted to take a quick moment to recognize the high quality of my experience with your organization while in Senegal. I was most impressed with your professionalism in organizing my presentation, the quality of participants and participation, the readiness of your computer technicians to accomodate my needs, and your willingness to be part of the Distributorship signing ceremony between ICDS and Technologies Services. I want to be very clear that the degree to which my visit was a success depended very much on the ground work put forth by your organization. For your diligence and commitment, I am truly grateful."
Photo - NeedleZap's Single Product Promotion Group Photo
State Department Partner Post Training for Central and West
Africa
March-April 2005
In an effort to ensure product service quality provided by State Department Partner posts in Central and West Africa, Director Rod Hirsch of the Oakland Export Assistance Center spent one month on a Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY) to Dakar, Senegal to train State Department colleagues on U.S. Commercial Service products and services and customer service.
Photo -
Director Hirsch with State and Commercial Service colleagues in
Dakar
Partner Post
Training Agenda
June 2004
Increasing International Trade and Investment
Opportunities
Hayward, CA
June 2, 2004
The Oakland Export Assistance Center organized the International trade and Investment seminar at California State University in Hayward focused on market opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The event was in collaboration with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)7, Export-Import (EX-IM) Bank of the United States8, and National Black Chamber of Commerce.9 This Africa trade promotion event was part of the Oakland EAC’s minority- & woman-owned business outreach initiative.
Following a discussion of "Financing and Insuring International Trade and Investment" moderated by Director Rod Hirsch of the Oakland USEAC, Commercial Specialists Marie Paule Ngaleu and Victorine Kabran in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire led a very successful video conference and market briefing on "highlighting Opportunities in Africa." This event was featured in the July 2004 Issue of the OPIC News (see page four) at http://www.opic.gov/OPICNews/0606/opicnews0606.pdf. You can also access this file by clicking OPIC News.
The above photo was taken at the event and features live Commercial Specialists Marie Paule Ngaleu (left) and Victorine Kabran from Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire.
May 2001
Trade Horizons 2001 Conference & Luncheon
On May 16, 2001, the Oakland U.S. Export Assistance Center in partnership with the Bay Area World Trade Center organized and hosted Trade Horizons 2001, an event focused on expanding trade to markets in Africa, the Middle East, India, and Pakistan. For more details on this event, refer to Trade Horizons 2001.