Govt to engage US on Trump's 10% tariff imposition

The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has assured the Ghanaian private sector, especially major exporters, investors and the public of  the government’s commitment to engage the United States of America on the imposition of tariffs on Ghanaian products to avoid trade disruptions and investment decisions in the country.

The ministry said as an immediate step, the ministers of Trade, Finance and Foreign Affairs would engage the US Ambassador to Ghana today for further deliberation on the issue.

The ministry said it was also engaging relevant stakeholders to determine the extent, and to assess the full impact of the US tariffs on the country’s economy.

In a statement issued last Saturday, the Ministry added that various strategies were 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 non-reciprocal preferential trade agreement between the USA and eligible African countries, including Ghana,” the statement said.

Tariff

The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, on April 2, 2025 announced a unilateral 10 per cent tariff, effective April 5, 2025, covering imports from all countries, including Ghana, into the United States.

However, goods that are in transit as of the date were exempt from the announced tariffs.

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

According to President Trump’s Executive Order, the tariffs were 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, semi-conductors, lumber articles, energy and energy products and certain critical minerals.

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 and cashew.

Response

The ministry said the government was committed to ensuring that the private sector was well informed on the details of the imposition to avoid trade disruption as well as ensure predictability of investment decisions in the country.

Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh