Trump admin loans $100 million to US-owned business in Africa to stave off China

In a bid to expand the American technology footprint across Africa and counter Chinese market dominance, the Trump administration has issued a $99.6 million loan to Africell, the continent’s sole U.S.-owned mobile network operator.

The financial backing, provided by the U.S. Export-Import Bank, was confirmed by the company on Friday.

Africell said that the funding will "boost U.S.-based employment in the telecommunications sector and strengthen American technology leadership abroad."

The company plans to direct the capital specifically toward American and European equipment for its network in the southern African nation of Angola. Beyond Angola, Africell maintains operations in Congo, Sierra Leone, and Gambia.

The investment comes as Washington seeks to curb the global reach of China's Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment supplier, which is estimated to have built more than half of Africa’s 4G and 5G network infrastructure.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration raised national security concerns regarding Huawei during his first term and pushed to counter its international expansion.

The U.S. has urged Western allies against using the Chinese firm's products in high-speed wireless networks, while U.S. prosecutors have accused Huawei of technology theft, plotting to steal U.S. trade secrets, and committing wire and bank fraud.

A criminal racketeering trial against Huawei opened in New York this week, though Huawei maintains the U.S. allegations are "demonstrably false."

Beyond telecommunications, the Trump administration has also taken steps to challenge Beijing’s extensive influence in other sectors across Africa, particularly the extraction of rare earth elements and critical minerals vital for electronics, new technologies, and defense systems.