The United States of America's Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, has revealed that the new global tariff adjustments introduced by the U.S. could benefit Ghana, unlike other countries.

In an interview with Citi News on Monday, May 26, she explained that the current 10% tariff on exports to the U.S. is in the favor of Ghana, as the nation's key exports, oil and gas, aren’t affected as imposed on rival countries.

“There were 10% applied globally, which the new US administration has taken, that may in the short term [be] to Ghana’s advantage, vis-à-vis its competitors. Oil and gas, which is being [a] major exporter to the US, is not subject to the tariff. If Ghana faces a 10% tariff, Bangladesh and Vietnam face 47% and 63%,” she said.

According to her, Ghana is currently in a better position in the U.S. market as compared to 60 countries that are facing a much higher rate of the 10% imposed tax.

"There were 60 countries where tariffs were much higher than 10%, which may be an advantage for Ghana in the near term. I hope that Ghana will be the one making that point to the American legislature when it expires at the end of September [2025]," she added.

Virginia Palmer has, therefore, urged the country's leadership to seize the advantage to persuade the U.S. government to renew a trade benefit before its expiry in September this year.

In early April, U.S. President Donald Trump reviewed tariffs on imports from various countries as part of a broader strategy to address trade imbalances.

Although the measure is premised on the principle of reciprocity, President Trump insisted in the executive order that the United States had been unfairly disadvantaged by trade barriers erected by other countries.

This policy affects numerous Ghanaian exports, notably those under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which previously allowed duty-free access to the U.S. market.

Ghanaian officials have criticized the move, arguing that the U.S. cannot claim the tariffs are to protect domestic industries.

Ghana is not facing the issue in isolation; as such, the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are coordinating a collective response. Some African nations, such as Lesotho, could face import duties of up to 50 percent.

African trade ministers met on April 14 to discuss their collective response to the new import tariffs imposed.

Meanwhile, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2000 to provide duty-free access for African exports to the U.S. market, remains in effect but faces new scrutiny in light of the latest U.S. trade policy shift.

In 2022, two-way trade between AGOA members and the US exceeded $46 billion, with $13.5 billion more in imports than exports.

That year, AGOA recipients exported $30 billion worth of goods to the US, of which $10.2 billion were sold under the duty-free AGOA preference.

However, with AGOA’s framework set to expire in September, there are growing concerns that the Trump administration’s stance may hinder any renewal.