Ghana’s Plan to Join BRICS Raises Questions About Trump Tariff Threats and Trade Concessions

Ghana's pursuit of BRICS partner status has drawn scrutiny over two separate tariff warnings issued by the USA new banking arrangement allowing Ghanaian businesses to pay Chinese suppliers in yuan without first obtaining US dollars has added to the questionsThe Finance Ministry has acknowledged offering zero tariffs on some Chinese goods, though it remains unclear which products are affectedGhana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!

Ghana's decision to seek BRICS partner status has placed the country at the centre of two unresolved tariff threats from US President Donald Trump, raising questions about potential economic consequences that the government has yet to fully address publicly.

Ghana’s decision to seek BRICS partner status has raised questions about its exposure to US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Credit: Zeynep Demir/Anadolu Source: Getty ImagesTrump issued his first warning in November 2024, ahead of his return to office, threatening 100% tariffs on BRICS nations if they moved to create or back a currency intended to replace the US dollar. He repeated that warning on 30 January 2025.

A separate threat followed in July 2025, when Trump wrote on social media that any country aligning with what he termed the "anti-American policies" of BRICS would face an additional 10% tariff, adding that there would be "no exceptions to this policy."

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An administration source subsequently told Reuters that the 10% levy would depend on countries taking specific policy actions rather than applying automatically upon joining or seeking membership.

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Joy News observed that two warnings carry distinct conditions and do not automatically apply to countries seeking BRICS partner status. The 100% threat relates specifically to replacing the dollar, while the broader 10% warning targets policies Washington considers anti-American. There is no indication that the US administration has classified Ghana's BRICS application as triggering either threshold.

What has added complexity to Ghana's position is a new banking arrangement disclosed by Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Asiama. Stanbic Bank is piloting a service that allows businesses to initiate payments from cedi accounts, with Chinese suppliers receiving yuan through China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System. GCB is preparing a similar offering.

Dollar payments and other channels remain in place alongside the new route. While the arrangement could simplify imports and reduce the need for multiple currency conversions, it has raised questions about how Washington might view Ghana's efforts to reduce reliance on dollar-denominated trade, particularly alongside a BRICS bid.

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Ghana's trade arrangements with China present a separate set of concerns. China has extended a zero-tariff policy to Ghanaian exporters, improving market access.

However, in October 2025, Fredrick Amissah, Technical Advisor to Ghana's Finance Minister, indicated that Ghana had offered reciprocal tariff reductions on fewer than 150 products. China's ambassador subsequently stated in November 2025 that no reciprocity was required, leaving the government to clarify whether those concessions remain part of any active agreement.

The choice of products will carry significant consequences. Removing tariffs on raw materials or machinery could lower costs for Ghanaian producers, but concessions on finished goods competing with local manufacturing could intensify pressure on domestic industries. Investment linked to the BRICS relationship would need to generate real opportunities for Ghanaian firms and workers to deliver the industrial growth the government has cited as a rationale.

Foreign Minister Samuel Ablakwa has said international partners have been briefed on Ghana's BRICS decision and that a policy paper underpins the move. Government has yet to release that document publicly.

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YEN.com.gh reported that leaders of the 11-member BRICS bloc railed against economic protectionism and "tariff blackmail" amid a damaging trade war with US President Donald Trump.

The group of emerging economies met via videoconference at the initiative of Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose office said it was necessary to address the "intensification of unilateral measures" in the world.

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Delali Adogla-Bessa (Head of Current Affairs and Politics Desk) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.