Ghana’s push to add more value to its exports is gaining strong ground, with cocoa paste once again emerging as the country’s top non-traditional export in 2025.
New figures from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) show that cocoa paste earned $789.3 million over the period, placing it at the top of the country’s non-traditional export basket.
Overall, Ghana’s non-traditional exports recorded a historic performance, rising by 30.7% year-on-year to reach $5.006 billion. The growth highlights a steady shift away from raw commodity exports toward processed and semi-processed goods.
Cocoa derivatives continued to dominate the sector. Cocoa butter followed cocoa paste closely with earnings of $635.7 million, while cocoa powder also contributed significantly, reinforcing the cocoa industry’s central role in Ghana’s export economy.
Strong global demand particularly from European markets where cocoa ingredients are essential for chocolate and food production helped sustain cocoa paste’s lead position. The trend also reflects Ghana’s increasing capacity to process more of its cocoa locally, retaining greater value within the country.
Beyond cocoa, several other non-traditional exports performed well. Cashew nuts generated about $297.6 million, while shea-based products posted notable growth, driven by rising demand in the cosmetics and food industries. Exports of plastics and canned tuna also contributed to the sector’s overall expansion.
According to GEPA, manufactured and semi-processed goods accounted for more than 83% of total non-traditional export earnings, underscoring the country’s gradual industrial transformation and reduced dependence on raw exports.
On the export destination front, the Netherlands remained Ghana’s largest market, followed by the United Kingdom and France. Trade within West Africa also continued to grow steadily, especially under regional frameworks in the ECOWAS bloc.
