This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
Despite a 50% reduction in general goods and 30% in vehicles, Ghana's import volumes have dropped by 11.31% since the benchmark value cut in April this year.
According to data from the Ghana Shippers' Authority, the total volume of goods imported through the country's two seaports (Tema and Takoradi) fell from 7.16 million tonnes in the first half of 2018 to 6.35 million tonnes in the same period this year.
While the first quarter of 2019 saw a 7.8% decline, the second quarter recorded a more significant 16.89% drop in import volumes.
The decline in imported commodities such as petroleum products, bulk cement, bagged rice, chemicals, and bagged sugar contributed to the decrease in import volumes.
On the other hand, export volumes increased by 42.04% to 5.72 million tonnes, with manganese, bauxite, timber logs, cashew nuts, and cocoa beans being the major gainers.
