The Former Deputy Ambassador to China, Charles Dwamena, has urged Ghanaian traders, regulators and consumers to take greater responsibility for the quality of Chinese goods imported into the country.

According to him, Chinese manufacturers produce goods in different quality grades, making it important for Ghanaian importers to conduct proper checks before bringing products into the local market.

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Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, Dr Dwamena said importers should not assume that all Chinese products are of the same quality.

“This is like doing business with your twin brother or your twin sister. The onus will be on you to cross your T and dot your I; if you just take it on the surface that, oh, that’s my twin brother, so I’ll not do the due diligence, you’ll be eating your kenkey raw,” he said.

Dr Dwamena explained that Chinese manufacturers often produce different grades of the same product to meet varying demands and price points.

“If it’s a pair of shoes they are producing, they’ll have about 10 grades. Top grade, then the lowest grade. It’s up to you to choose which one you want,” he noted.

He therefore urged Ghanaian traders to pay greater attention to quality rather than focusing solely on securing the cheapest products.

“It’s also up to the regulators at the entry point to ensure that we do not allow inferior products to come in,” he said.

Dr Dwamena further cautioned consumers against assuming that cheaper products always offer the best value.

Dr Dwamena said Ghana must strengthen its own systems for controlling the quality of imported goods, including checks at the entry points.

“You can’t blame that on the Chinese manufacturer. So you need to look at your own space—the people going for it and the people who are regulating at the entry point. And of course, eventually the buyers who are going to buy these things,” he said.

“If you always go with the lower price, you may not necessarily be getting what quality is,” he stated.

He noted that consumers are increasingly looking for quality and that the responsibility for ensuring standards cannot be placed solely on Chinese manufacturers.

“The consumer is not only after cheaper prices, but looking for quality,” he said.

ANAS/EB

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