The United States has lifted the 15 per cent tariffs that were applied to selected agricultural products from Ghana. Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, confirmed that the reversal took effect on November 13, 2025, following a new executive order issued by President Trump. According to the Minister, U.S. diplomats confirmed that "the 15% tariff reversal came into effect on November 13, 2025, following President Trump's new Executive Order."
The measure removes the tariff on a range of Ghanaian fruit exports, including avocado, banana, mango, orange, lime, plantain, pineapple, guava, and coconut, as well as peppers.
The tariffs were originally introduced under an executive order issued on July 31, 2025. That policy imposed a 15 per cent reciprocal tariff on selected countries, including Ghana. The development raised concerns within Ghana's agricultural export industry, with horticultural products and cocoa identified as areas of vulnerability. The government responded with formal objections, and Deputy Trade Minister Sampson Ahi said Ghana was "prepared to engage at the highest levels" to challenge the policy, emphasising that the U.S. does not produce cocoa domestically.
Industry observers noted that the episode has prompted wider discussion in Africa about the stability of export access to major markets. Some analysts pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area as a mechanism that could support more intra-African trade to reduce exposure to sudden external policy changes.
Ghana has welcomed the tariff reversal, with the expectation that fruit exporters supplying the U.S. will continue operations under restored market conditions. The change applies immediately to exports already moving through the supply chain, and further administrative updates are expected as trade between the two countries continues under the revised tariff environment.
Source: Joy Online
