Accra, June 27, GNA – The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has officially opened the Ghana Trade House in Philadelphia, establishing Ghana’s first dedicated commercial foothold on the United States East Coast, reinforcing the country’s strategy to deepen access to key international markets.
It was inaugurated on the margins of the Invest Ghana Business Forum and Exhibition, held in the US, jointly organised by GEPA, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), and the Export and Import (EXIM) Bank.
In attendance were the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GIPC, Mr Simon Madjie, and the CEO of GFZA, Dr Mary Awusi, who underscored the Government of Ghana’s commitment to the initiative.
The trade house is expected to increase Ghana’s non-traditional export target to the US from US$405.6 million in 2025 to $1 billion by the end of 2026.
The Philadelphia facility adds to Ghana’s growing network of overseas Trade Houses, following the opening of similar establishments in London in March this year and in Kenya in 2023.
The platforms are designed to strengthen Ghana’s commercial visibility, support exporters, and create structured pathways for market entry, investment promotion, and business partnerships across major regional markets.
Its service offerings include market intelligence, trade advisory, export matchmaking, product showcasing, investment promotion support in priority sectors, regulatory guidance on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and access to financing through Ghana EXIM Bank.
In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, GEPA explained that the facility had been positioned as a one-stop commercial and export facilitation centre for Ghanaian businesses seeking to enter or expand in the American market
Beyond pure commerce, the facility has been envisioned as a hub for economic diplomacy, cultivating ties with the substantial Ghanaian diaspora in the United States while strengthening people-to-people connections between the two countries.
According to figures from the United States Trade Representative and the US Census Bureau, total bilateral goods trade between Ghana and US reached an estimated US$2.5 billion in 2025.
United States exports to Ghana also rose by 32.6 per cent to US$1.3 billion, while US imports from Ghana totalled $1.2 billion, with bilateral goods trade surging more than 96 per cent year-on-year in March 2026 alone.
Cocoa beans and cocoa paste were among Ghana’s leading exports to the United States in March 2026, valued at US$52.8 million and US$40.9 million, respectively, as Ghana remained the world’s leading exporter of yams, with the USA the largest importer.
Beyond these flagship commodities, Ghana is also building a track record in processed and semi-processed goods, a structural transition that the Trade House is designed to catalyse and accelerate.
Mr Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur, GEPA Chief Executive Officer, speaking at the inauguration, framed the occasion as both symbolic and strategic, saying, “we are here to make entering global markets as smooth and achievable as possible.”
“Today, we formally establish our flagship Export Trade House here in Philadelphia, and as Ghana remains one of Africa’s most compelling destinations for doing business and investment,” he said.
Mr Arthur said the opening of the Philadelphia Trade House, marked the latest in a series of high-impact trade promotion milestones for GEPA this year, noting that in February 2026, the Authority led a delegation of Ghanaian horticultural producers to Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Germany, where purchase orders worth more than US$350 million were secured.
Subsequent missions to Macfrut in Italy and to Salon International de l’Alimentation (SIAL) in Canada, the largest international food and beverage trade show, he said, generated additional orders of more than US$150m and US$100m, respectively.
Mr Madjie, CEO of GIPC, described the opening of the Ghana trade house as a national economic asset that would strengthen Ghana’s global footprint, unlock new business opportunities, and reinforce the country’s standing as a competitive hub for trade and investment in Africa.
“When investors can see the quality of Ghanaian goods, understand the depth of local enterprise, and identify areas for partnership, they are more likely to move from curiosity to commitment,” he said.
He expressed the Centre’s commitment to working closely with GEPA, and other state institutions, Ghana’s diplomatic missions, the private sector, and diaspora business networks to convert trade visibility into investment outcomes.
Dr Awusi, GFZA CEO, said the Ghana trade house would support the Authority’s broader objectives of deepening export-led growth, strengthening investor confidence, and expanding Ghana’s presence in global value chains.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Francis Ntow
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