Sampson Ahi, the deputy minister for trade has revealed that President John Mahama has tasked the trade ministry to ensure that efforts have been made to ensure that Donald Trump tariffs slapped on Ghana are addressed.
President Donald Trump has unveiled a historic tariff policy, imposing a 34% tax on Chinese imports, 20% on goods from the European Union, and a 10% baseline tariff on imports from all countries, including Ghana.
The move, enacted under the 1977 International Emergency Powers Act, aims to address trade imbalances and revitalize U.S. manufacturing.
Critics warn that the tariffs could lead to economic instability, drawing comparisons to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which deepened the Great Depression.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has invited the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Virginia Palmer, for a discussion on Monday, April 7, 2025 over President Trump’s recent decision to impose a 10% tariff on Ghanaian exports.
Speaking on JOY NEWS, Sampson Ahi stated, “President John Mahama has tasked us to ensure that efforts have been made to ensure that this problem of Trump tariffs slapped on the country is addressed. I am sure that once we have his blessings if he has to intervene, he will certainly do”.
“If you want to impose taxes on commodities to remain competitive, you would do that based on the commodities that you have a competitive advantage over us”, he added.
Sampson Ahi further revealed that the US Ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmer was also communicated surprised by Trump’s 10% tariff on Ghana’s exports.
He added, “The U.S. doesn’t produce cocoa, but they have slapped a 10% tariff on its exports, so we sought clarification and the Ambassador too was surprised”.
“She felt that if we pursued it, a commodity like cocoa could be exempted from the 10% tariff. She thinks we should engage at a higher level—that is, bringing in the President at a top governmental level.”
“We also know that as Africans, we have agreed to fight this collectively. And so on the 14th of this month, AfCFTA is organising a meeting with African trade ministers to look at this situation.”
“This is a matter that affects our economy, our farmers, and our export earnings. We are not treating this lightly”, the deputy trade minister noted.
Meanwhile, the vice president of Ghana Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman has fearlessly announced Ghana at the right time will take action against US President Donald Trump.
Her remarks come in response to the Donald Trump administration freezing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which has sparked mayhem around the world.
According to Jane Naana Opoku, Donald Trump has failed to ask himself how much leaves the African continent for his country the United States of America.
She noted that the Donald Trump administration thinks the USAID is just charity which according to her is not.
Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman stated, “Somebody is asking about the outside world and foreign aid, and I have heard the president of the country you are studying is slashing aid.
One of the questions he hasn’t asked himself is how much leaves our continent to his country. He hasn’t asked himself that, they think it is just charity it is not.
At the right time, we will also take action and it will not be funny”, she added.
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