President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to push for the Caribbean's inclusion in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) when Ghana assumes the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) next year.
He said extending AfCFTA to Caribbean countries would deepen trade between Africa and the Caribbean by allowing businesses in both regions to trade goods on a duty-free and tariff-free basis.
Mr Mahama made the announcement at a joint media briefing with Jamaican Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston on Monday, August 3, 2026, during his four-day state visit to Jamaica.
"One of the things that I would champion when I become AU chair next year is to expand the remit of the African Continental Free Trade Area to include the Caribbean," he said.
Mr Mahama explained that AfCFTA currently allows African countries to trade goods with one another without paying import duties or tariffs, creating a single market of about 1.4 billion people with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of nearly US$3 trillion.
He said bringing Caribbean countries into the arrangement would create new opportunities for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic and strengthen economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean.
Mr Mahama said the trade agreement works through a harmonised standards system under which national standards authorities certify products that meet agreed requirements. Once approved, the products are entered onto a register accessible to producers and buyers across the trade area.
He cited electrical cables, transformers, iron and steel products, processed foods and pharmaceuticals as some of the products that already qualify for duty-free trade under AfCFTA.
The President also disclosed that Africa was developing a payment platform that would allow countries to settle trade transactions in their local currencies instead of using a third currency.
He said the platform, once operational, would make cross-border trade easier and reduce the cost of doing business across the continent.
Mr Mahama said expanding trade between Africa and the Caribbean would require sustained effort and investment.
"We don't kid ourselves that you snap your finger and suddenly trade volumes will go up. We need to work at it," he said.
He added that stronger transport links and better infrastructure between Africa and the Caribbean would also be needed before the expansion of AfCFTA to include Caribbean countries could deliver its full benefits.
