African growth boom follows Trump push to replace aid with trade

Many African economies are seeing accelerated growth after the Trump administration shifted its approach from foreign aid towards trade, according to a senior US State Department official who spoke to Fox News Digital. Although sharp cuts to USAID funding had prompted warnings of economic hardship for African nations, officials say the region has instead experienced notable growth, which they attribute to the Commercial Diplomacy Strategy launched at the start of President Trump's second term.

The policy shift replaces traditional aid programmes with an emphasis on trade and commercial partnerships. According to the State Department official, nine of the world's 20 fastest-growing economies are now in Africa, a development being cited by the administration as evidence that its aid-to-trade approach is paying off, though the change has also reignited wider debate over the role and value of US foreign aid.