COUNTRY PROFILE / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Continent: America

Official Name: United States of America

Type of Government: Federal Republic

Head of the Federal State: Joe Biden

Area: 9,363,123 km²

Currency: US Dollar (USD)

Population (2021): 333 million inhabitants

Capital: Washington D.C.

Main Cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago

Official Languages: The United States has no official language. English is the native language of approximately 80% of the population.

Agreements and Conventions

1. Economic and Financial Cooperation

Economic and financial cooperation between the two (02) countries has been marked since 2012 by several actions, the main ones being :

• The cancellation of nearly all of Ivory Coast's debt to the United States in 2013, amounting to 214.3 million USD, or 108.98 billion FCFA, representing 98.3% of the said debt under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative ;

• The signing of an Agreement to encourage investment between Ivory Coast and the United States on July 12, 1998;

• The eligibility of Ivory Coast in October 2012 for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) ;

• Ivory Coast's eligibility since December 16, 2015, for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact Program, which allowed the country to benefit from approximately 315 billion FCFA for the financing of various projects ;
• The opening of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) office in Abidjan on January 8, 2016. This institution presented its products on May 8, 2018, in Abidjan to banks, SMEs, and microfinance institutions. On this occasion, OPIC considered providing loans up to 20 million USD at low rates and much more flexible conditions.

 

1. Project Financing by the United States in Ivory Coast

The various projects are financed notably by :

• The United States Embassy;
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) ;
• The President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR);
• USAID (United States Agency for International Development).

1. Projects Financed by the United States Embassy in Ivory Coast 

 

• Project for the inventory, digitization, and equipment of the National Costume Museum of Grand-Bassam (40 498 USD);
• Defense Projects - USA Embassy (2 285 000 USD);

• Self-sufficiency projects (agriculture, environment and sustainable development, industry, petroleum, mining, and energy, health, and nutrition, 361 000 USD) ;

• Julia Taft Refugee Aid Project (social protection and basic social services, 25 000 USD) ;

• Africa Health and Development Program (nutrition program, 75 000 USD);

• Mc Govern Dole Nutrition Project (14 000 000 USD).

1. Projects Financed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

• Health Projects CDC 1 (Strengthening Epidemiological and Laboratory Capacity for Influenza Surveillance and Response, 2 156 293 USD);

• Health Projects CDC 2 (Health and Nutrition, 7 588 691 USD);

• Rotavirus Vaccine Surveillance CDC (health and nutrition, 100 000 USD).

1. Projects Financed under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) 

• MCC 2017-2024 Project Management and Administration of the Administrative Governance and Civil Society Program, 64 750 000 USD);

• MCC Project - Transport in Abidjan (infrastructure and transport services, 292 340 000 USD);

• MCC Project - Skills for Youth Employability and Business Productivity (Education, Training, and Employment, 154 950 000 USD).

All projects funded by the MCC are still awaiting initial disbursements.

1. Projects Financed under the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief 

 

• Capacity Building Project for the Ministry of Women, Family, and Children (MFFE) - Improve Capacity of the Ministry for Family, Women, and Social Affairs to Ensure Quality Care and Support Services for Orphans, Vulnerable Children, and their Families in Ivory Coast under PEPFAR (Social Protection and Basic Social Services, 456 309 USD);

• Health Projects – PEPFAR (Health and Nutrition, 1 043 736 909 USD), completed ;

• Increase capacity of MPFFPE (Ministry of Women, Family, and Child Protection) through PNOEV (National Program for the Care of Orphans and other Vulnerable Children due to HIV/AIDS) and Basic Social Services, 4 659 467 USD).

1. Projects Financed by USAID (United States Agency for International Development)

• Project to Improve Access to Education (Education, Training, and Employment, 4 700 000 USD);

• Legislative Institutions Strengthening Project (Administrative Governance and Civil Society, 7 358 639 USD);

 

• Economic Growth Project-Trade Africa (Public Finance Management, 9 500 000 USD);

• Humanitarian Assistance Projects (Justice and Human Rights, 33 936 000 USD);

• Global Grant Agreement for Limited Scope Projects, Democracy, and Governance Projects, including Projustice (Administrative Governance and Civil Society, 58 590 699 USD);

• Economic Growth and Energy Project - Power Africa (Industry, Petroleum, Mining, and Energy, 12 553 582 USD);

USAID Health Project (Health and Nutrition, 288 477 544 USD).

A. Main Exports from Côte d’Ivoire to the USA: Cocoa and its derivatives, rubber and rubber products, mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances, etc.

B. Main Imports to Côte d’Ivoire from the USA: Petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons, plastics and articles made from these materials, machinery, mechanical appliances and devices, nuclear reactors, boilers, pharmaceutical products, etc.

Trade Flows Côte d’Ivoire - USA (Value in millions of FCFA)
Years	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Exports	449,656	480,185	688,222	545,300	449,655
Imports	302,678	246,393	374,085	523,200	446,127
Trade Balance	146,978	233,792	314,137	22,100	3,529
Total Bilateral Trade	752,334	726,578	1,062,307	1,068,500	895,781

Sources: DGE-DPPSE

 

Sources: DGE-DPCEI

 

Exports from Côte d'Ivoire to the USA showed marked growth between 2019 and 2021, peaking in 2021. However, they then declined in 2022 and 2023, returning to a level similar to 2019. The increase in exports up to 2021 can be attributed to increased demand for Ivorian products or favorable economic conditions. The decline observed in 2022 and 2023 may be linked to factors such as supply chain disruptions, decreased demand, or changes in trade policies. Over the 2019-2023 period, the average value of Ivorian exports is estimated at 522.204 billion FCFA/year.

Imports from the USA fluctuated, with a decrease in 2020 followed by a continuous increase until 2022. In 2023, imports slightly decreased compared to 2022. This increase in imports in 2021 and 2022 may be due to increased demand for American products. Over the 2019-2023 period, the average value of Ivorian imports is estimated at 378.097 billion FCFA/year.

The trade balance remained positive from 2019 to 2021, reaching a maximum in 2021. However, it significantly dropped in 2022 and 2023, almost reaching equilibrium in 2023.

Total bilateral trade slightly decreased in 2023 compared to 2022 (1,068.500 billion FCFA in 2022 compared to 895.781 billion FCFA in 2023).