The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the arrival of a unique trade mission to Liberia made possible by the U.S. Commercial Service office based in Oakland, California.

The In Vino Veritas California Wine Trade Development Mission arrived in Liberia on September 6 after travelling to Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya.

On September 7, Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Michael R. Arietti will greet the California wine promotion mission at the RJ Kendeja Resort, which is hosting the delegation.

Representatives of In Vino Veritas California and its partner vineyards will offer a sampling of their unique wine selection and will share information on new trends and insights on food pairing, wine storage and wine selection.

The In Vino Veritas principals leading the California wine promotion tour are Lino N'shimba and Cynthia Karp. Representing the portfolio of wineries are Kevin Brown and Barbara Brown of R&B Cellars and Jerald O'Brien of Silver Mountain Vineyards. Rod Hirsch of the U.S. Commercial Service in Oakland, California is accompanying the group.

Promoting trade and investment opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa is part of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's vision of placing economics at the heart of U.S. foreign policy in support of President Barack Obama's National Export Initiative.

Some of the highlights this year include a 10-company trade delegation which accompanied Secretary Clinton to South Africa in August and a trade delegation to five sub-Saharan African countries, which was led by Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson in February. In June, the State Department organized a business outreach conference in Cincinnati that attracted over 500 participants.

The U.S. Embassy in Monrovia assists American businesses and potential investors by providing them with information and assessments on the business climate in Liberia and by maintaining close contacts with the Government of Liberia and the local business community, including the Liberia Business Association and Chamber of Commerce.

The Embassy's Economic Section serves as the focal point for promoting the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA) and for coordinating AGOA trade-related activities with the public and private sectors.