Trump Administration Scraps 15% Duty on Goods Shipped from Ghana to the U.S.

The Government of Ghana has announced that it has received formal notification from the United States confirming the complete withdrawal of the 15% tariff previously levied on Ghana’s cocoa and a range of key agricultural exports.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in a statement shared via Facebook on Monday, November 24, 2025, revealed that American officials formally conveyed the decision to Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., marking the end of a policy that had long constrained the competitiveness of Ghanaian products in the U.S. market.

According to the Minister, the rollback took effect on November 13, 2025, following the signing of a new Executive Order by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The tariff elimination reverses a measure instituted during Trump’s earlier term—one that had placed substantial financial strain on the export value of Ghana’s cocoa.

The policy rescission extends beyond cocoa, covering a broad suite of Ghanaian agricultural exports, including cashew nuts, avocados, bananas, mangoes, oranges, limes, plantains, pineapples, guavas, coconuts, ginger, and various pepper varieties.

Government analysts project that with Ghana exporting an annual average of 78,000 metric tons of cocoa beans to the United States—sold at roughly $5,300 per metric ton—the removal of the tariff is expected to generate more than $60 million (approximately GHS 667 million) in additional yearly revenue.

Authorities have lauded the development as a significant stimulus to one of Ghana’s most vital export industries.
The United States remains the world’s leading importer of chocolate and cocoa-based products, making duty-free access essential to Ghana’s trade performance and global market leverage.

Minister Ablakwa further indicated that both nations remain committed to deepening economic cooperation and advancing a strategic partnership anchored in mutual benefit and strengthened commercial ties.

Source: William Narh