U.S. Embassy celebrates Fair Trade Lebanon’s BIEEL project success

U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Michaels has celebrated the successful implementation of the “Business Innovation and Enhance Exports in Lebanon (BIEEL)” at a closing event in the presence of Fair Trade Lebanon President Sami Abdel Malak, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Louis Lahoud representatives from the industrialist association, chambers of commerce and the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) team, MEPI Coordinator David Lewis and MEPI Program Manager Maya Barhouche, SMEs and local enterprises.

"MEPI, through the $2.5 million BIEEL project implemented by Fair Trade Lebanon, helped 100 Lebanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives produce and promote Fair Trade Certified products, and provide access to international export markets," the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said in a statement.

Michaels applauded the BIEEL project’s successful outcomes and highlighted the increase in Lebanese agrifood exports by $218 million in 2021 and $75 million in 2022.

“This project is just one in a long series of efforts to strengthen the bond between our nations, as we endeavor to help the Lebanese navigate through the current economic crisis toward a brighter future. The United States remains committed, through support amounting to over $3.8 billion dollars since 2018, to supporting the Lebanese people by enhancing Lebanon’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” he added.  

"BIEEL’s project is a concrete demonstration of the United States’ ongoing commitment to fostering a conducive environment for SME growth, including easy access to business financing, efficient export activity, improved corporate governance, and enhanced access to finance and international markets," the U.S. Embassy said.