Ghana urged to build capacity to maximise China’s zero-tariff policy

The Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory (ACCPA) and China Europe International Business School (CEIBS Africa) co-hosted a high-level roundtable in Accra to discuss how Ghana can maximize the benefits of China’s zero-tariff policy. The event brought together senior leaders from government, businesses, financial institutions and other stakeholders to explore practical ways to leverage the new policy.

ACCPA's Paul Frimpong said the discussions generated recommendations that could help Ghana position itself to fully benefit from the policy. Ambassador Cong Song of China stressed the new opportunities China’s zero-tariff policy has created for Ghanaian exports, with Ghana’s exports to China reaching $2.67 billion in 2025, up 33.9 percent year-on-year.

He highlighted processed cocoa, cashews, shea butter, pineapples, mangoes and coconuts as key products with export potential. Ambassadors urged stakeholders to address bottlenecks such as cross-sectoral coordination, rules of origin certification and customs clearance. CEIBS Africa's professor Gordon Adomdza said while tariffs were removed on 100 percent of tariff lines for Ghana, businesses need to overcome challenges around certification, packaging, quality, consistent supply, cold-chain systems, finance and buyer access.

He advised Ghana to move beyond raw material exports and focus on value-added processing, packaging and manufacturing. The private sector must take a leading role, securing financing, meeting standards, negotiating contracts and building relationships with Chinese buyers. Overall, the roundtable calls for stronger collaboration and Ghanaian readiness to fully capitalize on China’s new tariff-free market access.