Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Sampson Ahi, has revealed that President John Mahama may personally intervene to address the 10 percent tariff imposed by the United States on Ghana’s exports, particularly cocoa.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, April 7, the Bodi MP disclosed that the President has given the Trade Ministry his full backing to pursue all necessary diplomatic and strategic measures to reverse the tariff, which he described as unjustified.

“President John Mahama has tasked us to ensure that efforts are made to address this problem of Trump tariffs slapped on the country,” Mr. Ahi stated. His comments followed a high-level meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, prompted by concerns over the inclusion of cocoa—Ghana’s leading export commodity—in the list of U.S. goods subject to new tariffs.

Mr. Ahi said the Ghanaian delegation questioned the logic behind targeting cocoa with a 10% tariff, especially as the U.S. has no domestic cocoa industry to protect.

“If you want to impose taxes on commodities to remain competitive, you would do that based on the commodities that you have a competitive advantage over us,” he argued. “The U.S. doesn’t produce cocoa, but they have slapped a 10% tariff on its exports.”

In early April 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 10% tariff on imports from various countries, including Ghana, as part of a broader strategy to address trade imbalances.

This policy affects numerous Ghanaian exports, notably those under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which previously allowed duty-free access to the U.S. market.

Ghanaian officials have criticized the move, arguing that the U.S. cannot claim the tariffs are to protect domestic industries.

Mr. Ahi noted that Ambassador Palmer appeared surprised by cocoa’s inclusion in the tariff regime and advised that the matter be escalated diplomatically.

“She felt that if we pursued it, a commodity like cocoa could be exempted from the 10% tariff. She thinks we should engage at a higher level—that is, bringing in the President at a top governmental level,” he said.

The Deputy Minister suggested that President Mahama is prepared to step in directly if required. “I am sure that once we have his blessings, if he has to intervene, he will certainly do so,” he said. He added that Ghana is not facing the issue in isolation, as the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are coordinating a collective response.

“We also know that as Africans, we have agreed to fight this collectively. And so, on the 14th of this month, AfCFTA is organizing a meeting with African trade ministers to look at this situation,” he explained.

Mr. Ahi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Ghana’s economic interests. “This is a matter that affects our economy, our farmers, and our export earnings. We are not treating this lightly,” he concluded.