'Exporting of goods not trial and error'

A Director of the Inspectorate Division, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) -- Mr. Eugene Adarkwa Addai, has said exporting goods is not a matter of trial and error. Therefore, it is important that exporters seeking to export their products endeavour to make it right the first time and every time.

He said this at a one-day seminar organised by AHK, in collaboration with Fidelity Bank and Enhancing Growth in New Partnership (ENGINE), a project implemented by TechnoServe with funding from the Department for International Development.

The aim of the seminar was to foster and facilitate trade relations between Ghana and Germany.

Mr. Adarkwa Addai advised exporters to produce and test their products in the country and West Africa before thinking of exporting farther afield.

“Only those who seek to export to the GSA know the standards, but it is necessary to test your products here. Quantity and price are negotiable, but quality and standards are non-negotiable,” he explained.

Mr. Patrick Martens, a Delegate, German Industry and Commerce in Ghana, in his presentation cautioned Ghanaian exporters and prospective ones to familiarise themselves with trends in the international export market so as to meet standards required by their foreign partners.

He said bilateral issues were significant because a good business had a healthy business partner, and that his outfit focus more on mutual bilateral trade.

Mr. Martens said it is important for exporters to participate in international exhibitions and fairs to interact with other businesses in developing relationship and partnership in developing their own capacities.

“AHK believes that commodity trading itself does not create jobs, we want to gather support for all those companies in the manufacturing sector,” he said.

Mr. Martens said AHK is an important part of the export part of the global economy. Trade fairs are still playing a crucial role in our activities.

AHK Ghana has a special networking event which features businesses coming from Germany to share ideas with their Ghanaian counterparts, and also push Ghanaian businesses onto the German market and European markets.

Mr. Bright Evans Darko, Head of Export Desk, Fidelity Bank, disclosed to participants that the bank has dedicated a section for export finance and provides technical advice and support to exporters.