The Government of Ghana has announced that the United States has officially lifted the 15% tariff previously imposed on Ghana’s cocoa and selected agricultural exports. This marks a significant policy reversal with major implications for Ghana’s export earnings.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, confirmed the development in a Facebook post on Monday, November 24, 2025. He said U.S. diplomats formally notified Ghana’s Mission in Washington, D.C. of the decision, which took effect on November 13, 2025, following the signing of a new Executive Order by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The now-reversed tariff introduced during Trump’s earlier administration had increased export costs and reduced Ghana’s competitiveness in the American market. Its removal restores duty-free access for Ghana’s cocoa and a wide range of other agricultural products, including cashew nuts, avocados, bananas, mangoes, oranges, limes, plantains, pineapples, guavas, coconuts, ginger, and several varieties of peppers.
Government projections indicate a substantial financial benefit. Ghana exports an average of 78,000 metric tons of cocoa beans to the U.S. annually. With cocoa currently trading at about $5,300 per metric ton, eliminating the 15% tariff could generate an additional $60 million (approximately GHS 667 million) each year.
Officials have welcomed the policy reversal, describing it as a timely boost to one of Ghana’s most strategic export sectors. The United States remains the world’s largest importer of cocoa and chocolate products, making unrestricted access to the U.S. market vital for Ghana’s foreign exchange earnings.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that both countries remain committed to deepening economic cooperation and strengthening mutually beneficial trade relations in the years ahead.
