Bank of Ghana outlines four-pillar agenda for Africa–US trade reset and urges AGOA reform and trade finance hubs

The Bank of Ghana published a keynote address by Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama to the African Leaders & Partners Forum in Washington, D.C., proposing a shift in Africa–U.S. economic engagement from commodity-led trade towards value-added production supported by stronger macroeconomic and financial foundations and inclusive digital infrastructure. The speech cited 2024 U.S. goods trade with Africa of USD 71.6 billion and highlighted Ghana’s AGOA-linked trade performance, including bilateral trade of USD 2.48 billion in 2024 (Ghana exports of USD 1.60 billion and imports of USD 874 million). It set out four pillars for the proposed reset: macroeconomic credibility and strategic autonomy; financial system resilience, including the use of suptech and regtech and Ghana’s Financial Stability Fund supporting post-pandemic solvency and governance reform; deeper trade integration backed by financing mechanisms, including a call for U.S.–Africa Trade Finance Hubs co-created with institutions such as EXIM Bank and Afreximbank to de-risk SME transactions and provide blended capital; and inclusive digital transformation, referencing Ghana’s eCedi pilot and calling for closer alignment of the U.S. Digital Transformation with Africa initiative (USD 350 million) with national priorities including cybersecurity frameworks and cross-border digital payments. AGOA’s renewal ahead of its 2025 expiry and engagement with the new U.S. administration were framed as near-term opportunities to embed incentives for value-added exports, expand into digital trade, and reduce compliance burdens for smaller exporters.