Ghana’s trade surplus drops 70% to US$1.3bn in second quarter of 2026 as imports surge

Ghana's trade surplus reduced by 70% in the second quarter of 2026, reaching US$1.3 billion, as reported by the Ghana Statistical Services. The decline was primarily due to a sharp increase in imports, which rose by 47.5%, while exports only grew by 1.6%. The country's exports totalled GH₵108.5 billion (US$9.6 billion), and imports amounted to GH₵94.7 billion (US$8.3 billion), resulting in a total trade value of US$17.9 billion.

The surplus was largely attributed to high prices of gold, which accounted for 72.3% of all exports, followed by crude petroleum at 10.7%. Import prices increased significantly faster than export prices, with fuel prices rising by 54.1%, leading the surge. China, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates were the top destinations for Ghana's exports, accounting for 76.2% of the total.

African countries, particularly South Africa, were the primary buyers and suppliers of Ghana's exports, with exports to Africa comprising 81.5% of total exports to the continent.