Ghana and Colombia have agreed to open a direct maritime shipping route connecting the Port of Tema to the Port of Cartagena, a move expected to transform trade between West Africa and Latin America. The new corridor aims to reduce shipping time, lower transport costs and create smoother access to markets that have long been difficult to reach through indirect routes.
The agreement was finalised in Bogotá and announced by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. According to officials, the direct connection will bypass the traditional dependence on European and North American transshipment hubs, which often add delays and extra expenses for exporters.
Beyond moving goods faster, both countries plan to collaborate on modernising port infrastructure, improving customs systems and strengthening operational efficiency. Authorities believe these upgrades will make their ports more competitive and attractive to international shipping lines.
The initiative builds on growing diplomatic engagement between the two nations. In December 2025, Colombia’s Vice-President, Francia Elena Márquez Mina, visited Ghana to explore investment opportunities and deepen commercial relations, part of Colombia’s broader strategy to expand its presence across Africa.
For Colombia, the partnership opens a strategic gateway into West Africa’s rapidly expanding consumer markets. For Ghana, it strengthens ambitions to position Tema as a leading logistics hub for the sub-region while providing exporters with direct access to Latin American markets.
Despite diplomatic ties dating back to 1988, trade between the two countries has remained modest. Bilateral exchanges were estimated at about $3.2 million in 2025, largely centred on cocoa and coffee. Officials now expect the new shipping corridor to unlock trade in a wider range of goods, including rice, sugar, processed foods and other agricultural products, while encouraging value-added industries on both sides.
Minister Ablakwa described the agreement as not only economic but deeply symbolic, noting that the Atlantic Ocean once associated with the tragedy of the transatlantic slave trade can now serve as a pathway for opportunity, job creation and shared prosperity.
