The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) is calling for a stronger push towards processing Ghana’s raw commodities locally, warning that the country’s continued dependence on primary exports leaves the economy exposed to external shocks.
The call follows findings from the Service’s first-quarter 2026 trade report, which shows that Ghana’s exports remain heavily concentrated in a few commodities, particularly gold, cocoa and petroleum.
The GSS said the pattern makes the country’s export earnings vulnerable to changes in global commodity prices and supply disruptions.
Gold remained Ghana’s biggest export in the first quarter, earning GH¢63.7 billion and accounting for 57.7% of total exports.
Cocoa beans were the second-largest export at GH¢12.9 billion, while crude petroleum contributed GH¢8 billion.
Together with other major commodities, the figures point to an export structure still largely built around raw or minimally processed products.
The situation is particularly evident in the cocoa sector.
Although cocoa exports generated US$1.69 billion in the first quarter, the GSS said the performance was driven overwhelmingly by raw cocoa beans, with processed cocoa products contributing relatively little.
The Service said this points to significant untapped opportunities for value addition along Ghana’s cocoa value chain.
The GSS is therefore urging policymakers and industry players to promote value addition in the cocoa and mineral sectors while expanding non-traditional and manufactured exports.
It also wants Ghana to use the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market as a priority destination for higher-value Ghanaian products.
The Service said Ghana’s growing trade surplus with other African countries provides an opportunity to develop regional value chains and position the country as a supplier of intermediate goods for further processing on the continent.
It has also called for improved trade infrastructure and wider access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises to help build productive capacity and export competitiveness.
According to the GSS, Ghana must move beyond simply exporting commodities and accelerate the shift towards processed, higher-value products if trade is to become more resilient and broadly beneficial to the economy.
