US tariffs: Ministers of Trade, Finance and Foreign Affairs to engage US Ambassador on April 7

The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness & Industry has assured the Ghanaian private sector, especially major exporters, investors and the general public of the government’s commitment to engage the USA on the current imposition of tariffs on Ghanaian products.

This is to avoid trade disruptions and investment decisions in the country.

In a statement, the Ministry said the Ministers of Trade, Agribusiness & Industry, Finance and Foreign Affairs will immediately engage the US Ambassador to Ghana on Monday, April 7, 2025.

It added that as a matter of urgency, it is also engaging relevant stakeholders to determine the extent of the effect and assess the full impact of the US tariffs on the country’s economy.

“Furthermore, various strategies are under consideration to mitigate the immediate impact on Ghana’s trade. Most of the Ghanaian exports to the US market enjoy the duty-free quota-free market access through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is a nonreciprocal preferential trade agreement between the USA and eligible African countries, including Ghana”, the statement explained.

The USA announced on April 2, 2025, the imposition of a 10% universal tariff, effective April 5, 2025, covering imports from all countries including Ghana into the United States. However, goods that are on transit as of the date are exempt from the announced tariffs.

In addition, reciprocal tariffs were also imposed on over 50 countries with rates ranging from 11% to 50%, effective April 9, 2025.

According to the Executive Order, the tariffs are being imposed pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) due to economic and national security implications of the country’s global trade deficits. The Executive Order specifically exempts certain products from the universal and reciprocal tariffs. These products include copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber articles, energy and energy products, and certain critical minerals.

According to the Trade Ministry, the US market provides a ready-made complementary market destination for several important priority export products from Ghana, such as apparel, cocoa derivatives, gold jewellery, shea butter, horticulture products including root crops (Yam), fruits, vegetables, cashew, etc.

The Ministry stressed the government’s commitment to ensuring that the private sector is well-informed on the details of the imposition to avoid trade disruption as well as ensure predictability of investment decisions in the country.

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