The opening year of the second Trump Administration marked a pivotal moment in U.S.-Africa trade relations. Reciprocal tariffs and the unprecedented lapse of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) signalled a potential departure from decades of U.S. trade policy, leaving governments, businesses, and investors navigating significant uncertainty.  Yet the broader picture tells a more dynamic story. As the United States recalibrates, other major powers have intensified their engagement with African partners — positioning themselves to capture the enormous opportunities emerging from the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The result is a rapidly shifting competitive landscape that raises urgent questions about where the United States fits, and what it risks by remaining on the sidelines.  These pressures have brought long-simmering debates about the future of the U.S.-Africa commercial relationship to a critical inflection point. What should a modern, mutually beneficial trade and investment framework look like? What concrete mechanisms — policy, financial, or institutional — are needed to turn opportunity into outcomes?  This plenary will convene senior government officials and private sector leaders for a candid, forward-looking conversation about the decisions that will define the trajectory of U.S.-Africa economic ties for years to come.