On September 11 at 9:00 a.m. ET, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, in partnership with the Policy Center for the New South, will host a conversation on the future of US development finance and commercial diplomacy in Africa and beyond.

With tectonic changes in trade policy, the future of the Millennium Challenge Corporation and African Growth and Opportunity Act under review, and the reauthorization deadline for the US International Development Finance Corporation looming, 2025 is a pivotal year for US commercial diplomacy. This conversation will highlight how efforts, from scaling investments to increasing flexibility, can drive shared economic prosperity both in the United States and US partners abroad.

Aubrey Hruby will also share findings from her new policy brief, “DFC 2.0: A blueprint for a bigger, faster, and more strategic agency.”

New policy: In-person attendees will be required to show photo ID upon arrival, and no on-site registration will be permitted. Guests will not be admitted later than twenty minutes after the event’s start time. Registration for this event will close at 5:00 p.m. ET the day prior. 

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Issue Brief

Sep 11, 2025

DFC 2.0: A blueprint for a bigger, faster and more strategic agency

By Aubrey Hruby

With the DFC’s reauthorization this year, Congress and the Trump administration have an opportunity to refine the tools, deepen partnerships, and expand expertise in order to make the investments at the scale and with the flexibility needed to strengthen US national security and enhance global competitiveness.

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