Two former Ghanaian Trade Ministers have urged African governments to embrace intra-continental trade to mitigate the impact of U.S. trade tariffs on their economies.
Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah, Trade Minister from 2014 to 2017, and Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi, Deputy Trade Minister from 2021 to 2024, made the call following a 10 to 50 percent trade tariff imposed on Ghana and 180 countries by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking at the 2025 Ghana Corporate Finance Awards in Accra last weekend, Dr. Spio-Garbrah, who also served as Ghana’s Ambassador to the U.S. and Mexico, encouraged the protection of local businesses from excessive importation.
He highlighted the impact of U.S. trade policies and urged governments and businesses to act.
“Our government can take some measures to alleviate the likely impact of these international actions in the domestic economy through at least protecting the Ghanaian industry and preventing us from importing things that we can readily produce, manufacture, sell, and distribute here in Ghana,” he said.
Dr. Spio-Garbrah also advised businesses to adopt strategic measures to minimize the impact while the government provided support mechanisms.
Mr. Okyere Baafi called for deliberate efforts to boost intra-African trade, emphasizing the continent’s potential combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about $3.2 trillion.
He cited Ghana’s export of ceramics and iron ore to other African countries as an example of harnessing competitive advantages for economic growth.
“The only thing that happens here is for us to work hard to make sure that the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, which has been signed by 55 countries and ratified by almost 47 countries, works… and Africa will be the winner,” he said.
The Ghanaian government announced plans to engage the U.S. over the 10 percent universal tariff on imports and convene a stakeholder meeting to assess the impact.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to adding value to raw materials and exporting to neighbouring West African countries.
“Not all commodities will qualify [for trade] under the Africa Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) initiative because of the rules of origin. So, we will work together, making sure that we help each other,” she said.
The initiative aims to reduce import dependence, grow the Ghanaian and West African economies, and create decent jobs.
Source: GNA
