Ghana’s non-traditional exports hit $5bn in 2025, up 30.7%

Accra, April 17, GNA – Ghana’s
non-traditional export (NTE) sector recorded $5.0069 billion in earnings in
2025, representing a 30.7 per cent increase over the $3.83 billion achieved in
2024, according to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA).

The performance reflects strong growth in
value-added exports and signals the early impact of the Accelerated Export
Development Programme, the Authority said at the launch of its 2025 NTE
Statistics Report in Accra on Friday.

Non-traditional exports refer to all export
products other than the country’s traditional exports of cocoa, gold, crude oil
and timber, and are seen as critical to diversifying Ghana’s economy and
boosting foreign exchange earnings.

The report showed that processed and
semi-processed products continued to dominate the sector, contributing $3.09
billion, a 52.78 per cent increase over 2024, and accounting for 83.47 per cent
of total NTE earnings.

Cocoa derivatives — including cocoa paste,
butter and powder — remained the single largest contributor, making up 33.18
per cent of the export basket.

Agricultural exports also grew
significantly by 37.82 per cent to $710.3 million, driven by cashew nuts, shea
nuts and bananas, with yam exports recording a sharp 559 per cent increase.

In terms of markets, Europe remained
Ghana’s largest destination for non-traditional exports, generating $2.29
billion, representing a 55.34 per cent increase.

Africa accounted for 30.36 per cent of
exports, largely driven by intra-ECOWAS trade, while North America recorded the
highest growth rate at 82.40 per cent, and Asia grew by 14 per cent.

The Netherlands emerged as Ghana’s leading
export destination, followed by Burkina Faso, the United States, the United
Kingdom, Togo, France, Italy, India, Côte d’Ivoire and Vietnam.

Mr Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur, Chief
Executive Officer of GEPA, said the sector’s performance demonstrated “a more
competitive export base and expanding global reach.”

“This level of performance, achieved with
only 10 per cent of the import levy allocation, highlights the efficiency of
our export promotion efforts and the strong return on investment,” he said.

He appealed for an increase in GEPA’s share
of the import levy from 10 per cent to 20 per cent to accelerate progress
towards the Authority’s $10 billion export target by 2030.

“If 10 per cent can generate over $5
billion in export earnings, then 20 per cent will yield even greater results in
foreign exchange generation, job creation and industrial transformation,” he
added.

Mr Arthur also highlighted key
interventions undertaken by GEPA in 2025, including support for small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) to participate in international trade fairs,
facilitation of direct export shipments, and capacity-building programmes for over
2,000 exporters.

Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry,
called for tailored financing solutions to support SMEs, stressing the need for
“patient and well-structured capital designed specifically to meet the unique
needs of small businesses in the export sector.”

In a statement read on his behalf, Dr
Johnson Asiama, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, said the NTE sector contributed
about 16 per cent of Ghana’s total export earnings of $31.2 billion in 2025.

He noted that the sector played a crucial
role in strengthening the country’s foreign exchange reserves, stabilising the
cedi and anchoring inflation.

“The NTE sector is therefore significant to
Ghana’s macroeconomic stability and highlights the strong link between trade
development and monetary policy,” he said.

Dr Asiama called for deliberate policy
interventions, including affordable financing, tax incentives and improved
access to international markets, to sustain the sector’s growth.The launch was accompanied by an exhibition
of a wide range of Ghanaian non-traditional export products.