China reaffirms zero-tariff policy for Ghana, eyes stronger trade ties

The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, has reiterated China’s ongoing commitment to offering zero-tariff access to products from Ghana and 52 other partner nations as part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties.

His comments follow the United States' announcement of a 15 percent tariff on imports from Ghana and other African nations, made on July 31, 2025. The new tariff, which is expected to take effect on August 7, 2025, will apply to goods entering the US from Ghana.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb Business on the sidelines of the Africa-China Centre for Policy and Advisory (ACCPA) fellowship in Accra, Ambassador Tong highlighted the mutual benefits of China’s zero-tariff policy, noting that it continues to support economic growth for both nations.

He revealed that Ghana and China are currently in discussions to finalise the implementation details of the policy in a way that benefits both parties.

“China is still offering zero tariffs to all 53 countries that have diplomatic ties with China. We believe this has helped. It benefits both sides, China and Ghana. The two government agencies are currently discussing the detailed arrangement. We have already signed a framework MoU for this initiative, and both governments are accelerating efforts to determine how to implement the zero-tariff policy,” he explained.

Ambassador Tong also encouraged Ghanaian businesses to take advantage of the opportunity, emphasising the vast potential of the Chinese market, which has over 400 million middle-income consumers.

“China’s market is huge. We are the largest consumer market in the world, and we’re definitely on track to becoming the biggest. We encourage Ghanaian companies to take advantage of this and promote your products in China,” he added.

SP/MA

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