International Trade Expert Calls on Ghana to Seize Diplomatic Goodwill in U.S. Relations
Dr. Sanusi Zankawah, a Ghanaian international trade expert, is urging Ghana to leverage the current goodwill in its relations with the United States to rebalance trade and further strengthen U.S.–Ghana cooperation.
According to him, the trajectory of U.S.–Ghana relations in recent months has been marked by a renewed spirit of cooperation that deserves both careful recognition and strategic utilization.
In a statement shared with blogger Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham, Dr. Zankawah emphasized that the restoration of Ghana’s five-year multiple-entry visa privileges by the United States, together with Ghana’s acceptance of U.S. deportees without the usual diplomatic frictions or financial implications, represents more than routine adjustments. He described these developments as a reaffirmation of trust, a diplomatic victory, and a clear signal of Washington’s growing confidence in Ghana’s role as a reliable partner in Africa.
Dr. Zankawah stressed that the timing is opportune for Ghana to seize this diplomatic momentum to advance its economic interests. He noted that the goodwill earned through visa diplomacy and immigration cooperation provides Accra with the leverage to push for a recalibration of trade terms - particularly a renegotiation and review of tariffs imposed on Ghanaian exports under the Trump administration. These tariffs, he explained, continue to undermine Ghana’s competitiveness in the U.S. market and frustrate the promise of partnership both nations profess to uphold.
Read the full statement below:
After Visas, Tariffs: The Next Test for U.S.–Ghana Relations
By [Sanusi Zankawah PhD], International Trade Expert
The trajectory of U.S.–Ghana relations in recent months has been marked by a renewed spirit of cooperation that deserves careful recognition and strategic use. The recent restoration of Ghana’s five-year multiple-entry visa privileges by the United States is more than a bureaucratic adjustment; it is a reaffirmation of trust, a diplomatic victory, and an unmistakable sign of growing confidence in Ghana’s role as a reliable partner in Africa. The absence of this facility strained relations and created frustration for business executives, students, and ordinary Ghanaians who had to endure the uncertainty and cost of short-term visas. Its restoration therefore signals not only goodwill but also a broader commitment by Washington to reset its engagement with Accra at a time when Africa’s importance in global geopolitics is rising.
This is not the only recent demonstration of mutual accommodation. In August, Ghana quietly accepted the return of a U.S. deportees without the usual diplomatic frictions or cost implications that often accompany such transfers. This act, which might appear minor at first glance, is in fact a pragmatic demonstration of Accra’s willingness to shoulder this burden and avoid the kind of standoffs that have in the past complicated U.S.–Africa relations on immigration matters. By accepting the deportees at no cost, Ghana sent an important signal to Washington: that it values the relationship enough to compromise on sensitive issues and work constructively where others might have chosen confrontation.
Taken together, these developments, the restoration of visa privileges and the cooperative handling of deportees returns, paint a picture of a bilateral relationship that is deepening in both symbolism and substance. Yet, if Ghana is to fully capitalize on this goodwill, it must not stop at celebrating these wins. The momentum should be harnessed to address more consequential issues, particularly in the domain of trade. Chief among these is the need to renegotiate and review the tariffs imposed on Ghanaian exports by the Trump administration, which continue to undermine Ghana’s competitiveness in the American market and frustrate the promise of partnership that both sides claim to uphold.
Those tariffs, introduced under the logic of correcting global imbalances and protecting American producers, have been disproportionately damaging to Ghana. Exports of cocoa derivatives, aluminum, and textiles sectors that employ thousands of Ghanaians and provide critical foreign exchange have faced punitive barriers. The irony is striking: at the same time that Washington proclaims its support for African industrialization and prosperity through programs like the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), it maintains tariff measures that blunt the very competitiveness AGOA was designed to enhance. For Ghana, a country that has consistently demonstrated democratic stability, fiscal responsibility, and a commitment to open markets, such restrictions are difficult to justify.
The timing is ripe for Ghana to make its case. The goodwill built from visa diplomacy and immigration cooperation provides Accra with leverage to push for a recalibration of trade terms. In international relations, momentum matters. By showing flexibility on sensitive issues like visas and deportations, Ghana has positioned itself as a constructive partner. Now is the time to translate that goodwill into economic negotiations that can deliver tangible benefits for Ghanaian businesses and workers.
The argument for tariff review should not be framed as a favor to Ghana, but as a mutually beneficial adjustment that aligns with the interests of both economies. Consider the example of cocoa. While Ghana remains the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa beans, it has long sought to move up the value chain by exporting more semi-processed and finished cocoa products rather than raw beans. Yet tariffs in the U.S. have made this shift less viable, constraining Ghana’s ambition to diversify its export base. American confectionery companies, on the other hand, rely heavily on cocoa inputs for their supply chains. By reducing tariffs, Washington would not only give Ghana’s processors a fairer chance at the U.S. market but would also lower input costs for American firms, making them more competitive globally. This is the very definition of a win-win outcome.
Aluminum presents another compelling case. Ghana’s bauxite and aluminum industry has the potential to become a cornerstone of industrial growth and job creation. Yet U.S. tariffs imposed under the Trump administration’s blanket national security rationale have undercut Ghana’s ability to export competitively. In practice, these restrictions have not significantly protected U.S. producers, but they have limited supply options for American manufacturers who rely on affordable imports. Removing or reducing these tariffs would help stabilize U.S. manufacturing while providing Ghana with the revenues and investment incentives needed to expand its industrial base.
Beyond the economics, there is a larger geopolitical dimension at play. Africa is increasingly a contested arena for influence between global powers. China, Turkey, and the European Union are all deepening their economic footprint on the continent through infrastructure deals, preferential trade agreements, and development financing. The U.S. risks falling behind if it continues to allow tariffs to sour its trade relations with African states. Ghana, as the host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, is uniquely positioned to serve as a gateway for U.S. firms into Africa’s 1.4 billion-strong consumer market. Supporting Ghana through fairer trade terms would therefore strengthen not only bilateral relations but also America’s broader strategic presence in Africa.
For Washington, revisiting these tariffs would reinforce its credibility as a partner genuinely committed to Africa’s development. The U.S. has long styled itself as an ally of democratic, market-oriented states. Ghana, with its track record of peaceful transfers of power, prudent economic management, and respect for the rule of law, epitomizes these values. Yet, as long as tariffs continue to stifle Ghana’s exports, the rhetoric of partnership remains undermined by policies that appear punitive rather than supportive. A tariff review would send the right message not just to Accra, but to all of Africa that constructive engagement with the United States yields tangible results.
For Ghana, the task now is to seize the diplomatic moment. The Ministry of Trade and Industry, working in tandem with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ghana Embassy in Washington, must elevate tariff renegotiation as a priority agenda item in bilateral talks. This will require careful framing. Ghana should present tariff revision not as a plea for exemptions or special treatment but as a logical extension of the goodwill already demonstrated in visas and immigration cooperation. It should be positioned as a strategic recalibration that benefits both sides, enhances U.S. supply chains, boosts Ghana’s exports, and strengthens the foundations of an already thriving partnership.
The path will not be easy. Trade negotiations are rarely straightforward, and domestic political considerations in the U.S. often complicate efforts to liberalize tariffs. Yet Ghana’s case is strong, and the timing could not be better. In diplomacy, opportunities are fleeting. The restoration of visa privileges and the cooperative handling of deportee returns have created a window of goodwill that must be leveraged before the political winds shift.
The symbolism of a five-year visa is powerful. The acceptance of transferred deportees at no cost reflects maturity in handling sensitive issues. But the future of U.S.–Ghana relations will not be determined by symbols alone. It will be written in trade volumes, industrial growth, and the prosperity of ordinary citizens who stand to benefit from fairer access to markets. Tariff revision is the logical next step in this unfolding story of partnership. If both nations seize the moment, these recent acts of goodwill will be remembered not as isolated gestures, but as the turning points that opened the door to a new era of economic cooperation and shared prosperity.
Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham (AB)
