The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, has called on the government to take swift action in supporting local exporters following the expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The US trade programme, which ended on September 30, had for more than two decades granted Sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to American markets.

Its expiry has raised concerns about the future of Ghanaian manufacturers who depended on the scheme to penetrate the US market.

In a written piece, the MP, who is also the Ranking Member on Parliament's Trade and Business Committee, warned that many exporters had already tied production schedules and budgets to American demand and could suffer “severe shocks” without urgent intervention.

“Government has a huge responsibility. The first step is to call a conference and bring all exporters and manufacturers together to give them comfort and chart a new path,” he said.

Ghana opens talks with US over tariffs and AGOA renewal

Baafi emphasised that without swift intervention, exporters who had already planned their production and budgets for the year would face severe shocks.

However, the New Juaben South MP urged Ghanaian businesses to look to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a long-term alternative, stressing that the agreement offers a larger market than the US.

“This is where AfCFTA has come to stay. Out of 55 African countries, 54 have signed and 47 have ratified the agreement. Ghana has become a champion and must take full advantage. The African market of over 3 billion people is even bigger than the American market,” he stressed.

He added that African exporters must take ownership of AfCFTA to safeguard the continent’s economic future.

“We as Africans must not sit down for other countries to come and take advantage. AfCFTA is the biggest customs union in the world today, and African exporters must own it," he added.

SP/AE

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