An Analysis of Ghana’s Good Export Market Access

This paper analyzes the trade policies, including tariffs and non-tariff measures, of major markets for Ghana’s exports. Based on the latest available data, it shows that high-income countries rely more heavily on non-tariff measures than on tariffs, while developing countries tend to impose more restrictive tariff barriers than high-income countries. In several developed markets, Ghana benefits from low or zero tariffs through preferential access and unilateral preference schemes. However, Ghanaian exports in these markets still face substantial non-tariff measures, particularly in agricultural products such as cocoa beans, cocoa paste and butter, and coconuts and cashews. These non-tariff measures primarily take the form of sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade. To improve market access in these destinations, Ghanaian exporters must comply with requirements related to product conformity, quality standards, testing, and labeling. The recent European Union Deforestation Regulation further illustrates the growing importance of non-tariff measures affecting Ghana’s exports.