Ghana-China bilateral trade reached US$14.1 billion in 2025, a 19.3 percent year-on-year increase, Chinese Ambassador Cong Song disclosed Tuesday at his first official press briefing in Accra.
The figures reaffirm China’s position as one of Ghana’s largest trading partners, though provisional data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) show the relationship remains heavily weighted toward imports. China was Ghana’s largest source of imports in 2025, accounting for GH¢57.6 billion or 22.7 percent of total imports, while Ghana’s exports to China stood at GH¢19.6 billion, representing just 4.9 percent of total exports for the year.
That imbalance has sharpened attention on China’s recently introduced zero-tariff policy, which removes import duties on qualifying exports from 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing, including Ghana. The policy, announced by President Xi Jinping and effective from May 1, 2026, stands to benefit Ghanaian products including cocoa, cashew, shea butter, textiles, and handicrafts.
Ambassador Cong explained that “cocoa and other products enjoy zero tariffs on exports to China,” adding that Ghanaian cocoa previously attracted duties of between 8 and 22 percent. He said the arrangement could also attract additional investment into Ghana’s manufacturing and agro-processing sectors by making local processing for Chinese export more financially attractive.
Think-tank representatives described the policy as a potential shift from aid dependence toward export-led industrialisation, offering African countries access to China’s 1.4 billion-person market. However, they cautioned that realising the benefits will depend on improvements in production capacity, standards, logistics, and industrial coordination. The responsibility, they stressed, now lies with African governments to build the capability needed to capitalise on the market access.
Ambassador Cong commended Ghana’s recent macroeconomic performance, noting 6 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2025 and inflation easing to 3.4 percent in April 2026. He said China is prepared to support the government’s 24-Hour Economy and Resetting Ghana agenda, and expressed readiness to invest in the proposed Volta Economic Corridor through capital, technology transfer, and industrial collaboration.
On illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, the ambassador reiterated China’s opposition to the involvement of Chinese nationals in unlawful activities and pledged continued support for Ghana’s enforcement efforts. He added that China shares Ghana’s interest in protecting forests and water bodies through environmentally sustainable mining practices.
The ambassador also outlined people-to-people exchange programmes under the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, including film festivals, cultural performances, and youth initiatives. More than 10,000 Ghanaian students are currently studying Chinese language and culture, he noted.
