Ghana secures major trade win as U.S. reverses 15% tariffs on cocoa, other agricultural goods

According to Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who disclosed the development in a statement posted on his Facebook page, the reversal took effect on November 13, 2025, after a new Executive Order signed by President Trump cancelled the levy.

“U.S. diplomats have confirmed to me that the reversal of the 15% tariff took effect on November 13, 2025, following President Trump’s new Executive Order. Ghana welcomes this positive development from the United States, which remains the world’s largest importer of chocolate and cocoa products,” the foreign minister said.

With annual cocoa bean exports to the United States averaging about 78,000 metric tons, and global spot prices currently hovering around $5,300 per metric ton, Ghana stands to gain an additional US$60 million (GHS 667 million) in annual revenue as a result of Washington’s decision.

The announcement extends beyond cocoa, covering a wider basket of agricultural products including cashew nut, avocado, banana, mango, orange, lime, plantain, pineapple, guava, coconut, ginger and assorted peppers, further widening the economic dividend for Ghanaian farmers and exporters.

The tariff cancellation follows months of shifting diplomatic dynamics between Accra and Washington, a period that has seen Ghana adopting a more cooperative posture toward the Trump administration’s immigration and deportation frameworks.

This came after the two governments reached a new agreement allowing the US to deport certain migrants to Ghana or, where necessary, to approved third countries.

The removal of the cocoa tariff is therefore being widely interpreted within diplomatic circles as part of a recalibrated US–Ghana relationship, in which Accra’s willingness to assist Washington on sensitive migration matters appears to be paying off.

For Ghana, the economic impact of the tariff reversal arrives at a critical moment as the government seeks new revenue sources amid tightening global financial conditions.

For the United States, the decision may reflect a strategic effort to strengthen ties with a politically stable West African partner at a time of growing global competition for influence on the continent.