Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Ghana’s bid to join BRICS as a partner country has raised questions about the potential impact of United States President Donald Trump’s tariff threats on the country’s trade and economic relations with Washington.
The threats include a proposed additional 10 percent tariff on countries pursuing what Mr. Trump describes as the bloc’s “anti-American policies” and a separate 100 percent levy warning against efforts to replace the US dollar as the dominant international currency.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said Cabinet had approved Ghana’s decision to seek partner-country status as a first step towards full membership.
He said he had formally communicated the decision to India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and sought India’s support. Other international partners had also been informed.
Mr. Ablakwa maintained that Ghana would remain non-aligned, with its foreign policy guided by national interests rather than allegiance to any particular geopolitical bloc.
He said the initiative predated the current administration, pointing to a report by a ministerial committee established by Cabinet in 2023 which recommended that Ghana join BRICS.
Government expects the move to widen development partnerships, attract investment and support industrialisation.
However, the decision comes against the backdrop of Mr. Trump’s repeated warnings over BRICS and efforts to reduce global dependence on the dollar.
In November 2024, before returning to office, he threatened 100 percent tariffs on BRICS countries if they created a new currency or supported another currency to replace the dollar. He repeated the warning in January 2025.
In July 2025, he issued a separate threat, declaring on social media: “Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an additional 10% tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy”.
Washington has not clearly defined what would constitute an “anti-American” policy. A source subsequently told Reuters that the proposed 10 percent tariff would depend on specific policy actions rather than apply automatically to BRICS members.
Ghana’s efforts to diversify payment channels have added to the questions surrounding its BRICS ambitions.
The Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Johnson Asiama, disclosed that Stanbic Bank was piloting a system allowing businesses to pay Chinese suppliers from cedi accounts, with payments received in yuan. GCB Bank is preparing a similar arrangement.
The service uses China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System and could simplify transactions by reducing the need for multiple currency conversions.
However, using yuan for trade does not automatically amount to supporting a replacement for the dollar. There is also no indication that Washington has identified the arrangement as grounds for imposing either threatened tariff.
Trade arrangements with China present another issue requiring clarification.
In October 2025, Fredrick Amissah, Technical Advisor to the Finance Minister, said Ghana had offered to remove tariffs on fewer than 150 products as part of reciprocal trade arrangements.
“I can tell you on authority that we have less than 150 products that we have offered to zero the – I mean, zero tariffs,” he said.
China’s ambassador subsequently indicated that Beijing’s zero-tariff offer to Ghana did not require reciprocal concessions. The products covered by Ghana’s reported offer, whether the concessions have taken effect and their implications for local manufacturers remain unclear.
While cheaper machinery and production inputs could reduce costs for Ghanaian businesses, tariff reductions on finished goods competing with locally manufactured products could expose domestic industries to greater pressure.
The stakes are significant, given that four of Ghana’s leading export destinations in 2025 – the United Arab Emirates, India, South Africa and China – were BRICS members.
Government must therefore clarify the benefits it expects from the initiative, the commitments involved and the measures it intends to adopt to manage potential trade risks.
A Business Desk Report
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