The 10% tariff imposed by the U.S. government on Ghanaian exports has become a matter of increasing concern, with Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi and Ranking Member of the Economy Committee, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Speaking in a recent video, Nkrumah provided a detailed analysis of the ongoing issue, questioning whether the government is taking the matter as seriously as it should.
In a meeting held between Ghanaian ministers and the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, President Donald Trump’s administration was at the forefront of discussions.
According to Oppong Nkrumah, the meeting aimed to understand the rationale behind the newly imposed tariffs and explore potential resolutions.
“On Monday, several Ghanaian ministers met with the U.S. Ambassador to try and understand the reasons behind the 10% tariff on exports from Ghana to America,” he shared, setting the tone for his concerns.
The discussion reached a point where the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Samson Ahi, made a noteworthy comment.
According to Nkrumah, Ahii relayed that the U.S. Ambassador, Virginia Palmer, seemed “taken aback” by the inclusion of cocoa in the tariff scheme, which led her to suggest that Ghana escalate the matter to a higher diplomatic level.
“Ambassador Palmer herself appeared taken aback by the inclusion of cocoa in the tariff scheme and suggested that Ghana pursue resolution at a higher diplomatic level,” Nkrumah reported, quoting Ahi’s assessment of the meeting.
However, Nkrumah pointed out a worrying contradiction in the responses from both Ghana’s President and his ministers.
“Samson Ahi says that President Mahama has tasked us, his ministers, to ensure that efforts have been made to address this problem of the Trump tariffs slapped on the country,” he explained. While the U.S. Ambassador urged the Ghanaian government to have President Mahama personally engage President Trump, Nkrumah noted, “The President of Ghana is telling his ministers, deal with it.”
This contrast, according to Nkrumah, reflects a lack of urgency in tackling the issue.
“This is a matter that needs to be taken more seriously than it’s being taken now,” he asserted, stressing that if the tariff remains, Ghanaian products would become more expensive in U.S. markets compared to goods from other countries.
The economic repercussions, Nkrumah warned, would be significant.
“If these 10% tariffs stand, what will first of all happen is that Ghanaian products in American markets that are affected by these tariffs will be more expensive than competitor products from other countries that are not similarly affected,” Nkrumah explained, emphasizing how this could lead to a decline in demand for Ghanaian goods.
“If that happens, the demand for the Ghanaian products will drop. If that demand drops, the foreign exchange earnings that we make from exports of these products to America—over a billion dollars a year—will also drop.”
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah did not stop at the direct economic losses; he went further to highlight the ripple effects of the tariffs.
“Apart from the earnings of that trade dropping, the jobs that depend on exports to America, like those in garments, in cocoa, and in other areas, will also be at risk,” he noted, indicating that workers in critical industries could lose their livelihoods.
Moreover, he highlighted the possibility of broader economic consequences, including a potential surge in global inflation as other countries retaliate with their own tariffs.
“This is a matter that needs to be taken seriously,” Nkrumah reiterated, underscoring the urgent need for government action.
The conversation has now turned into a call for immediate intervention from the highest levels of government.
Kojo Nkrumah concluded by urging the government to act decisively. “I’m passing the baton between ministers and the president.
“The government of Ghana needs to take this matter seriously and act now,” he stressed, adding that the stakes are too high to ignore the long-term impact on Ghana’s economy.
However, as the U.S. tariff threat lingers, it remains to be seen how Ghana’s leadership will respond to the mounting pressure and whether swift, effective action will be taken to safeguard the country’s export interests and economic stability.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
