State Department Under Secretary Keith Krach and Commerce Acting Under Secretary Joe Semsar launched the first DC Central Deal Team meeting on February 18 at the State Department. The Departments announced an integrated approach to strategically support U.S. businesses abroad.

The DC Central Deal Team is a new proactive multi-agency U.S. government body. It will advance U.S. strategic economic interests by: facilitating and identifying new business opportunities for U.S. companies abroad; proactively supporting U.S. companies competing for contracts; developing a common methodology and sharing best practices for Embassy Deal Teams; assembling prepackaged solutions to support U.S. companies abroad; ensuring integration of the multiple programs at various U.S government agencies and financial entities. DC Central and Embassy Deal Teams are an important part of establishing a level playing field for U.S. businesses and taking economic statecraft to the next level.

The DC Central Deal Team will track, promote, and marshal government support, to secure new business opportunities for U.S. companies in key economic sectors abroad. While U.S. government agencies have unique mandates, Under Secretary Krach noted that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and all of the agencies share the common goal of accelerating economic growth that is key to economic security. DC Central Deal Team and Embassy Deal Teams are also a critical component in establishing a trusted Growth Network of like-minded nations, companies, and civil society. Under Secretary Semsar highlighted that the private sector is one of America’s greatest assets and the Deal Teams initiative is a way for the government to catalyze support for U.S. exports and investments abroad.

This meeting also included senior officials from: The Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, State, Transportation, and Treasury; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC); the National Economic Council (NEC), the National Security Council (NSC), and Prosper Africa.

For more information, please visit www.state.gov/deal-teams.