Ghana records trade surplus of $1.3bn in Q2 – GSS

Ghana's trade surplus in the second quarter of 2026 reached $1.3 billion (GH¢13.8 billion), a significant drop from the $4.3 billion surplus in the first quarter. The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reported that the country exported more goods than it imported, but the surplus reduced by about 70% mainly due to a sharp increase in imports.

In Q2, Ghana traded 203.2 billion Ghanaian cedis worth of goods, including exports of 108.5 billion dollars and imports of 94.7 billion dollars, bringing the total trade to $17.9 billion. While exports declined marginally by 1.6% compared to Q1, imports increased by 47.5%, significantly narrowing the trade surplus. The report cautioned that the headline surplus doesn't tell the full story when price changes are removed; exports stood at 26.6 billion cedis, while imports were 41.2 billion, resulting in a real trade deficit of 14.6 billion cedis.

Gold was the main driver of Ghana's export earnings, accounting for 72.3% of total exports. The UAE was Ghana's largest export destination, purchasing 32.7 billion dollars worth of goods, representing 30.2% of exports.