The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, has downplayed concerns over the potential impact of the recently announced 10% tariff on Ghanaian exports, following a broader shift in U.S. trade policy.
The tariff is part of a sweeping set of measures introduced by President Donald Trump, which include a 34% levy on Chinese imports and a 20% tax on goods from the European Union.
These policies have heightened global trade tensions and drawn mixed reactions from world leaders.
Speaking from the Rose Garden, President Trump justified the tariffs as part of a national economic emergency, asserting that they were necessary to protect domestic manufacturing and address what he described as years of unfair economic exploitation.
Despite the growing concerns, Ambassador Palmer sought to reassure Ghanaians about the resilience of the U.S.-Ghana trade relationship, which exceeds $3 billion in bilateral trade and investment.
She expressed confidence that Ghana’s key exports, such as gold and gas, would remain integral to global trade and would not be significantly affected by the new tariffs.
“The life-saving programmes are all to be continued. The new face partnership will maintain all of the life-saving programmes. The US and Ghana have a very warm, close relationship, as you all know, and that is founded on four pillars.
“We have the historical and cultural. Also, more than $3 billion in bilateral trade investment is one of the key pillars. There are also goods and services; gold coming from here, gas coming from here, and we have automobiles and pharmaceuticals coming from the United States.
“So, it is something that builds prosperity in all the countries. It is all to say that no matter what the changes in language and no matter the change in focus, Ghana is really an important part of the United States and we will continue to be so,” she stated.
Palmer’s remarks aim to reinforce the enduring nature of the U.S.-Ghana partnership amid ongoing shifts in global trade policies.
