The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has credited the recent extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to sustained technical, diplomatic, and political engagements spearheaded by her ministry.
Her comments follow the decision of the United States Senate to renew AGOA for an additional three years, after the programme lapsed in September 2025.
AGOA provides eligible African nations duty-free and quota-free access to the U.S. market for selected exports.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Madam Ofosu-Adjare explained that the extension was the outcome of deliberate interventions by the ministry in response to new tariff measures introduced by the United States.
“Following the 10% and subsequent 15% tariff impositions by the U.S., the ministry pursued both technical and political discussions with our counterparts in the U.S. and in Ghana, with the focus on improving Ghana’s trade status with the U.S.,” she stated.
She noted that the expiration of AGOA in 2025 had stripped Ghana of its ability to export goods duty-free and quota-free to the U.S., worsening the impact of the new tariffs on local exporters.
“It can be recalled that AGOA ended in 2025, which meant that our ability to export duty-free and quota-free to the U.S. was no longer available. Then we had the tariff issue as well,” the minister observed.
According to her, the ministry engaged in high-level diplomatic talks with the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, alongside technical consultations involving ministry officials and the commercial division of the U.S. Embassy.
She added that Ghana also worked through regional platforms to reinforce its position, including discussions among ECOWAS trade ministers to adopt a unified stance on the tariff measures.
“There were also public communications urging exporters to remain calm, at a time when many were agitating because of the anticipated negative impact on their businesses,” she said.
Madam Ofosu-Adjare emphasized that these coordinated efforts ultimately secured the extension of AGOA, describing it as a major milestone for Ghana’s trade and export sector.
“The ministry played a leading role in this achievement—the extension of AGOA,” she declared.
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