The United States established diplomatic relations with Maldives in 1966 following its independence and has since enjoyed friendly ties. The United States has sought to support Maldives’ ongoing democratic initiatives, economic development, and social and environmental ambitions.
The United States recognizes the importance of promoting security in the Indian Ocean and has worked closely with Maldives on a range of security-related
The United States established diplomatic relations with Maldives in 1966 following its independence and has since enjoyed friendly ties. The United States has sought to support Maldives’ ongoing democratic initiatives, economic development, and social and environmental ambitions.
The United States recognizes the importance of promoting security in the Indian Ocean and has worked closely with Maldives on a range of security-related issues, including counterterrorism. The United States and Maldives signed the “Framework for U.S. Department of Defense-Maldives Ministry of Defence Defense and Security Relationship” in September 2020.
The United States established an embassy in Malé in 2023.
U.S. foreign assistance resources aim to strengthen democratic institutions, civil society, fiscal transparency, maritime security, counterterrorism, and law enforcement. Since September 2018, The U.S. has provided $36 million in bilateral foreign assistance to Maldives., The U.S. has provided nearly $3 million in assistance to Maldives to support the COVID-19 crisis to date to support the expansion of social-protection services
U.S. foreign assistance resources aim to strengthen democratic institutions, civil society, fiscal transparency, maritime security, counterterrorism, and law enforcement. Since September 2018, The U.S. has provided $36 million in bilateral foreign assistance to Maldives., The U.S. has provided nearly $3 million in assistance to Maldives to support the COVID-19 crisis to date to support the expansion of social-protection services led by local civil-society organizations and assist them to advocate effectively for COVID recovery policies. Since 2018, the U.S. has provided more than $10.8 million in Foreign Military Financing under the Bay of Bengal Initiative, in support of Maldives’ maritime security capacity.
Maldives has signed a trade and investment framework agreement with the United States and held its first meeting in October 2014, providing a forum to examine ways to enhance bilateral trade and investment. Maldives has been designated as a beneficiary country under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, under which a range of products that Maldives might seek to
Maldives has signed a trade and investment framework agreement with the United States and held its first meeting in October 2014, providing a forum to examine ways to enhance bilateral trade and investment. Maldives has been designated as a beneficiary country under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, under which a range of products that Maldives might seek to export would be eligible for duty-free entry to the United States. The GSP program provides an incentive for investors to produce in Maldives and export selected products duty-free to the U.S. market.
Maldives welcomes foreign investment, although the ambiguity of codified law acts as a damper to new investment. Areas of opportunity for U.S. businesses include tourism, construction, and simple export-oriented manufacturing, such as garments and electrical appliance assembly. There is a shortage of local skilled labor, and most industrial labor has to be imported from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or elsewhere.
The Investment Climate Statements analyze a variety of economies that are or could be markets for U.S. businesses and provide information on the business climates.
Since August, 2021 the United States has donated 740,790 safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses with the people of the Maldives. This includes 740,790 Pfizer doses. Of the 740,790 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX.
The United States is committed to leading an international and coordinated effort to accelerate access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to meet global needs. The United States is working with other governments and partners including COVAX, Caricom, and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) to protect communities from COVID-19 and apply lessons from this pandemic to enhance health security now and in the future.
