The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has welcomed the extension of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by the US Government for one year.
According to the Minister, the extension signed by President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 will safeguard thousands of Ghanaian jobs, particularly within the garments, agro processing, cocoa derivatives, and light manufacturing sectors, while reinforcing Ghana’s position as a reliable trading partner in the U.S market.
It would be recalled that since the imposition of the 10% universal tariff, the Government of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana 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.
Additionally, the Hon. Minister held series of meetings including stakeholder engagements to assure the exporting community of Government’s commitment to avoid trade disruptions and investment decisions in the country.
The USA announced on 2nd April 2025 the imposition of 10% universal tariff, effective April 5, 2025, covering imports from all countries including Ghana into the United States. In August 7th 2025, the USA imposed a new 15% tariff on Ghanaian export as part of a broader trade policy aimed at addressing trade deficits and promoting reciprocal trade practices.
AGOA, enacted in 2000, has been a cornerstone of US-Africa trade, granting duty-free access to the US market for 32 eligible African countries as at the end of 2024. Most of the Ghanaian exports to the US market enjoy the duty-free quota free market access through the AGOA, which is a non-reciprocal preferential trade agreement between the USA and eligible African countries, including Ghana.
The Hon. Minister wishes to commend the exporters for their resilience over the period and encourages them to leverage the Accelerated Export Development Programme to boost Ghana’s export to the US market.
