The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has praised the Government of Ghana for successfully negotiating the removal of the 15 percent U.S. export tariffs placed on Ghanaian cocoa and selected agricultural products. The reversal, which reportedly took effect on November 13, 2025, restores duty-free or reduced-barrier access for commodities such as cocoa, avocado, cashew nuts, mango and plantain—key pillars of Ghana’s export economy.
In a statement issued Monday, IEAG Executive Secretary Samson Asaki Awingobit called the development a “significant milestone” for the country’s trade sector. He said the tariffs had already begun eroding the competitiveness of Ghanaian exporters, squeezing profit margins and threatening jobs across major agricultural value chains.
Awingobit recalled IEAG’s earlier concerns following the initial 10 percent U.S. tariff, warning that the levies risked discouraging production and destabilising the export market.
He also pointed to IEAG’s long-standing advocacy for trade diversification, especially toward China. Ghana’s recent zero-tariff agreement with China, he suggested, may have influenced the United States to reconsider its protectionist approach, offering timely relief to local exporters.
While welcoming the tariff rescission, IEAG urged the government to sustain the momentum by strengthening trade diplomacy with global partners, improving the export environment through fiscal and infrastructural support, and boosting resilience among exporters through credit guarantees and risk-mitigation measures.
The Association further called for deliberate steps to diversify Ghana’s export base, noting the importance of safeguarding foreign exchange earnings and easing pressure on national reserves.
The statement underscored cocoa’s central role in Ghana’s economy, citing Ghana Statistical Service data showing that cocoa, gold and oil accounted for 83.4 percent of total exports in 2024. IEAG said a stronger and more diversified export sector is crucial for job creation, currency stability and long-term economic transformation.
IEAG reaffirmed its commitment to working with government and private sector stakeholders to ensure the benefits of the tariff reversal translate into sustained export growth and national prosperity.
Source: a1radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga
