China’s ambassador to Ghana, Mr Cong Song, has outlined three areas that he thinks can help translate China’s zero-tariff policy into greater trade and industrial opportunities for Ghana.
Ambassador Song, speaking at the Ghana-China Zero Tariff Policy Roundtable in Accra, said three areas cover access, alignment and advocacy.
The policy roundtable was convened by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS Africa) and the Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory (ACCPA).
He said the policy creates new opportunities for Ghanaian products to enter the Chinese market, but practical barriers must be addressed for those opportunities to deliver tangible results.
China began implementing zero-tariff treatment on all products from 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China on May 1, 2026.
He said zero-tariff treatment lowers the cost of African products entering China and could improve their competitiveness.
He cited cocoa as an example, noting that Ghanaian cocoa previously faced tariffs ranging from 8 to 22 per cent, indicating that cocoa products, cashews, shea butter, textiles and handicrafts were among products that could benefit from greater opportunities in the Chinese market.
The ambassador also pointed to recent trade figures, stating that Ghana’s exports to China reached US$2.67 billion in 2025, representing a 33.9 per cent year-on-year increase.
Citing data from China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC), he noted that China’s imports from Ghana reached US$290 million in June 2026, showing a 166 per cent increment from the previous month.
Ambassador Song stressed that the second pillar, alignment, focuses on linking expanded trade with Ghana’s productive and industrial capacity while arguing that zero-tariff treatment could help attract investment, technology, equipment and managerial expertise while encouraging more African products to be processed locally before export.
He said that could increase value addition and support farmers and small businesses while strengthening industrial chains and contributing to more balanced and sustainable China-Africa trade.
On the advocacy pillar, the Chinese ambassador to Ghana situated the zero-tariff initiative within China’s broader approach to economic opening and South-South cooperation.
He described the policy as part of China’s efforts to implement commitments under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and support a more inclusive global trading environment amid increasing protectionism and uncertainty in international trade.
Beyond the three “As,” the ambassador acknowledged that translating preferential market access into actual trade would require further work.
He encouraged policymakers, businesses and researchers to identify implementation bottlenecks and develop practical solutions capable of turning the zero-tariff policy into industrial growth and tangible benefits for Ghana.
Source: GNA
Related Posts
