Ghana Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in ghana, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Market Challenges
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Ghana seeks to industrialize and modernize its agriculture, which will provide economic opportunities for its growing population. One of the key constraints to this vision is the inconsistent and expensive supply of electric power, and the energy sector’s significant financial deficit.

  • Access to financing remains a significant challenge for local companies. Commercial bank rates average above 25%. 
     
  • Government debt remains high, constraining government procurement. Extensive and longstanding government payment arrears to international investors and service providers remains a major challenge. 
     
  • Exporters to Ghana without attractive financing options will find themselves at a disadvantage.
     
  • U.S. companies can also expect significant competition from companies from China, India, EU Member States, the United Kingdom, Korea, Israel, Turkey, South Africa, and elsewhere. Because of historical connections to Europe and geographic proximity, European Union and United Kingdom companies benefit from well-established business connections in Ghana and receive tariff preferences under bilateral trade agreements. Despite these challenges, U.S. firms compete effectively across key sectors.
     
  • Ghanaian buyers are price sensitive and thus, while U.S. products and services are perceived as high quality, durable and state-of-the art, cheaper (often Chinese) products are sometimes purchased for cost reasons. Although new U.S. equipment is bought by Ghanaian companies, re-conditioned U.S. goods (e.g., vehicles and equipment) have been successful in the Ghanaian market.
     
  • Fraud and Scams: In 2024, CS Ghana identified 16 different fraudulent entities that are actively seeking to scam U.S. companies. The Government of Ghana has confirmed that these are fraudulent entities. This is not an exclusive list; new fake entities appear all the time. Many mimic Government and international organization procurement websites. Please see our most recent scam guidance here. U.S. companies that receive unsolicited tenders or are told that they have won a bid without participating in a tender should contact Office.Accra@trade.gov for assistance in determining whether a tender is legitimate. 

If a buyer asks you to advance money to pay for miscellaneous fees (taxes, registration, bank fees, attorney fees, etc.) related to an export transaction, this is a scam. If you have already lost funds or feel you may currently be involved in a scheme, please contact your local Secret Service field office and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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