Economic Interaction between the United States and Mali: Trade, Investment, and Development Assistance

  The article examines the dynamics of economic interaction between the United States and the Republic of Mali at the present stage, with a focus on trade relations, investment activity and development assistance. The structural features of Mali’s economy, the country’s resource potential and the factors shaping U.S. interest in cooperation are analyzed. It is shown that bilateral trade remains limited and is characterized by an asymmetric structure: the United States acts primarily as a supplier of industrial and technological products, while Mali’s exports consist mainly of raw materials and agricultural goods. The dynamics of U.S. financial involvement, including foreign direct investment and development program funding, as well as their dependence on the political and economic situation in the region, are examined. A gradual transformation of the U.S. presence is noted: from large-scale aid programs toward a more pragmatic model focused on participation in extractive sector projects and securing access to natural resources.  The study concludes that Mali occupies a peripheral position in the U.S. external economic system but retains potential significance in the context of resource cooperation and regional stability.  The findings may be useful for analyzing U.S. foreign economic policy in African countries and assessing the prospects for trade and investment cooperation with the states of the Sahel region.