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Mr. Frederick Amisah, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Finance, has shed light on the significance of Ghana’s upcoming zero-tariff access agreement with China, describing it as a major step toward expanding Ghana’s export opportunities and strengthening bilateral trade relations.
He made this comment after President John Dramani Mahama announced at the 2025 China–Africa Summit that Ghana is set to sign the zero-tariff deal with China by the end of October 2025. The agreement will grant Ghanaian products duty-free access to the Chinese market.
President Mahama’s announcement follows China’s decision to open its market to African countries in response to the United States’ imposition of a 10% tariff on African exports.
Mr. Amisah explained that while the agreement presents huge economic benefits, it must also align with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules regarding trade among developing countries.
According to him, under WTO regulations, developed countries may offer trade preferences to developing countries without expecting anything in return. However, when both parties are developing economies as in the case of Ghana and China, there must be some level of reciprocity to comply with WTO standards.
“We should also note that China is a developing country, just like Ghana. In fact, there are only about 23 countries in Africa classified as least developed countries (LDCs).
“According to WTO rules, when a developed country offers trade benefits to developing countries, there should be no expectation of reciprocity. This means a developed country can unilaterally grant tariff-free treatment to imports from LDCs.
“However, when it comes to developing countries like China and Ghana, the situation is different. Since both parties are developing, there must be some level of reciprocity to avoid breaching WTO rules. In other words, if China offers certain trade benefits, Ghana or any other developing country must also offer something in return.” He stated.
Mr. Frederick Amisah added that it was this understanding that guided President Mahama’s initiative to pursue the agreement, recognizing the opportunity to position Ghana advantageously within China’s growing African trade framework.
“It was in this spirit that former President Mahama initiated this arrangement, recognizing the opportunity for Ghana to take advantage of what China was offering.”
Source: Elvisanokyenews.net
