BuyUSA.com, an electronic marketplace sponsored by the United States Department of Commerce and implemented by IBM, was formally launched on the African continent on Monday by US Commercial Service director general Maria Cino. BuyUSA.com is geared to enabling American small and medium-sized exporters to locate, assess and establish working relationships with distributors and suppliers globally. It enables importers from South Africa and other African countries, along with companies all over the world, to locate and contact American suppliers online, register and be vetted for trade with the US, conduct financial transactions with American companies and access legal information. Speaking at the launch, Cino said that BuyUSA.com was just one example of the US focus on increasing trade and investment and helping to create jobs and prosperity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – American and African alike. – Sapa