Ghana’s Trade Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has welcomed the United States government’s decision to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by one year, describing it as critical relief for exporters and a key safeguard for jobs.
According to the Minister, the extension—signed by the President’s administration on Tuesday, February 3, 2026—will “safeguard thousands of Ghanaian jobs,” particularly in garments, agro-processing, cocoa derivatives, and light manufacturing.
She said the decision also reinforces Ghana’s position as a “reliable trading partner” in the U.S. market, at a time when new tariffs have created uncertainty for businesses exporting to the U.S.
The Trade Ministry recalled that the extension follows months of engagement by the Mahama administration with U.S. counterparts to mitigate the impact of the tariff measures on Ghanaian exports.
“It would be recalled that since the imposition of the 10% universal tariff, President John Mahama, through the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, engaged the US counterparts through both diplomatic and direct engagement to mitigate the impact on Ghanaian businesses,” the statement said.
The Ministry also said the Trade Minister held “a series of meetings including stakeholder engagements” to assure exporters that government would act to prevent trade disruptions and protect investment decisions.
The U.S. announced on April 2, 2025, the imposition of a 10% universal tariff on imports from all countries, including Ghana. The measure took effect on April 5, 2025.
The Ministry further noted that on August 7, 2025, the U.S. imposed a new 15% tariff on Ghanaian exports as part of a broader policy shift aimed at addressing trade deficits and promoting reciprocal trade practices.
For Ghanaian exporters, the tariff regime had raised fears about shrinking competitiveness, especially for products that have traditionally benefited from duty-free access under AGOA.
AGOA, enacted in 2000, remains one of the most important trade frameworks between the U.S. and Africa. The agreement grants duty-free access to the U.S. market for eligible African countries.
The Trade Ministry said AGOA has been “a cornerstone of US-Africa trade,” and noted that as of the end of 2024, 32 African countries were eligible under the programme.
The statement stressed that “most of the Ghanaian exports to the US market enjoy the duty-free quota-free market access through the AGOA,” describing it as “a non-reciprocal preferential trade agreement” between the U.S. and eligible African countries, including Ghana.
The Minister said the one-year extension provides a crucial window for exporters to maintain market access, protect jobs and stabilise production plans in key sectors.
She also commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and other West African countries for what she described as their “collective effort and unwavering support” in securing the extension.
The Trade Minister further expressed appreciation to exporters for their “resilience” during the period of tariff uncertainty.
She encouraged them to take advantage of the Accelerated Export Development Programme to strengthen Ghana’s export performance in the U.S. market, as the country navigates a changing trade environment.
The Ministry believes the extension offers Ghana an opportunity to consolidate its export gains and protect jobs while efforts continue to secure longer-term certainty for businesses operating under AGOA.
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