Xifres de comerç exterior de Ghana

Foreign Trade in Figures

Ghana maintains a highly open stance towards foreign trade, with trade accounting for approximately 71% of its GDP, according to the latest data from the World Bank. The government's objective is to foster an economic environment conducive to private sector development, transparent trade practices, and enhanced competitiveness in foreign markets. In terms of exports, Ghana's main commodities include gold (37%), petroleum oils (31.3%), cocoa beans and paste (13.4%), and manganese (2.1%). On the import side, the country's primary imports consist of motor vehicles (12.6%), rice (3.6%), cement (3.1%), and refined petroleum oil (2.3%), as per Comtrade data for 2022.

As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ghana has engaged in various partnership agreements, including with the European Union (EU). The EU supports Ghana's "Beyond Aid" program, aimed at restructuring trade dynamics between Ghana and developed economies. Customs duties, while not excessively high, are applied to all imported products, following the common external customs tariffs of the ECOWAS. Ghana's top export destinations in 2022 were China (16.7%), Switzerland (14.7%), India (14.2%), South Africa (11.8%), and the Netherlands (5.8%). On the import side, the country's major import partners were China (18.2%), the United States (9.4%), the United Kingdom (6.6%), India (5.6%), and Belgium (5.1%), according to Comtrade data.

Data from the WTO indicates that in 2022, Ghana exported goods worth USD 17.5 billion and imported goods valued at USD 14.6 billion, marking increases of 18.8% and 7.2% year-on-year, respectively. However, while Ghana maintains a trade surplus in goods, it is a net importer of services. In 2022, service exports totaled USD 8.3 billion compared to service imports amounting to USD 11.8 billion. In 2023, Ghana experienced a contraction in its favorable trade balance, which decreased by 10% to USD 2.6 billion, as reported by the Bank of Ghana. This decline was attributed to a 5% decrease in total exports, driven by an 8.7% decline in cocoa income and a 30% decrease in revenue from oil shipments.f Ghana).