Former Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has urged African governments to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a unified shield against the latest wave of trade tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the 2025 Citi Business Festival in Accra on Thursday, June 12, Dr. Spio-Garbrah expressed concern over what he described as the “unpredictable” nature of Trump’s trade policies, warning that individual African countries risk being singled out for punitive tariffs.
He cautioned that Ghana and others could suffer serious trade setbacks if they fail to coordinate through AfCFTA.
“Trump could single out one country and impose harsh tariffs different from other countries, stifling the trade growth of that particular country,” he said.
Dr. Spio-Garbrah stressed that Africa’s best defense lies in collective, continent-wide action.
“The unpredictability of the policy framework of the United States is what I would like to refer to,” he said. “Now that we have AfCFTA… it’s better for that organisation to be the voice of Africa at this particular time than individual countries running around being scared about what to do and not do. So that we take collective action through AfCFTA.”
He added that coordinated strategies would better equip Africa to navigate the “choppy waters” ahead.
“This is the time for collective knowledge from a number of institutions and personalities, if put together properly on behalf of Africa, [it] can help us to navigate the choppy waters that are ahead of us,” he said.
The forum, themed “Global Tariffs Dispute – Navigating Ghana’s Recovery Strategy”, brought together top economists, trade analysts, business leaders, and policymakers to examine how rising trade tensions between global powers are impacting developing economies like Ghana.
CBF: First forum on global tariff disputes and Ghana’s economic recovery to be held today
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