Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago led a U.S. delegation on an official visit to Cairo to co-chair the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-Egypt Joint Economic Commission.

The visit, held May 17-18, was intended to engage with U.S. and Egyptian government and business leaders, according to a May 15 news release, issued by the International Trade Administration.

“I’m looking forward to leading our delegation — comprised of numerous U.S. government agencies — to Egypt for the first meeting of the newly established U.S.-Egypt Joint Economic Commission," Lago said in the ITA news release.

The JEC planned to discuss various sectors such as supply chain resilience, food security, the digital economy, clean energy and women's economic empowerment, the release reported. Lago also planned to engage with private sector leaders and moderate a roundtable on the Egyptian Women's Health Initiative.

Lago emphasized the importance of Egypt as a significant economic and strategic partner, as well as the largest export market in Africa for the U.S., she said, according to the release. The dialogue centered on Egypt's development goals and strengthen the trade and investment relationship in crucial sectors.

“This dialogue between our two nations will help facilitate collaboration on Egypt’s ambitious development goals. It will also further advance our bilateral trade and investment relationship in critical business sectors," Lago said in the news release.

The ITA serves as a resource for American companies in the global marketplace, with approximately 2,200 employees serving at more than 100 locations in the U.S. and 80 markets worldwide, the ITA promotes trade, supports U.S. businesses in expanding internationally, and ensures fair trade compliance, according to the ITA. The ITA's misison is to "create prosperity by strengthening the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements."