The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has credited the recent extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to sustained technical, diplomatic and political engagements spearheaded by her ministry.

Her comments come in the wake of a decision by the United States Senate to extend AGOA for a further three years, following the programme’s expiration in September 2025.

AGOA provides eligible African countries with duty-free and quota-free access to the United States market for selected exports.

Addressing the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Madam Ofosu-Adjare explained that the extension followed deliberate interventions by the ministry after the United States introduced new tariff measures that threatened Ghana’s export competitiveness.

“After the imposition of the initial 10 per cent tariff and the subsequent increase to 15 per cent, the ministry initiated both technical and political engagements with our counterparts in Ghana and the United States, with the aim of improving Ghana’s trade position,” she stated.

She noted that the lapse of AGOA in 2025 had already stripped Ghanaian exporters of duty-free and quota-free access to the U.S. market, a situation that was further worsened by the new tariffs.

“AGOA had ended, meaning our preferential access was no longer available, and then we were confronted with the tariff issue as well,” she said.

According to the minister, the response included high-level diplomatic discussions with the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, supported by technical consultations between officials of her ministry and the commercial section of the U.S. Embassy.

Ghana also leveraged regional platforms, including engagements among ECOWAS trade ministers, to forge a common front on the tariff concerns.

Madam Ofosu-Adjare added that the ministry also engaged exporters through public communication, urging restraint amid fears of severe business disruptions.

She said these coordinated efforts ultimately paid off, culminating in the extension of AGOA.

“The extension of AGOA is a major milestone for Ghana’s trade and export sector, and the ministry played a leading role in achieving this outcome,” she stressed.