President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to champion the expansion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to include Caribbean countries when Ghana assumes the Chairmanship of the African Union (AU) next year.
He said the initiative would strengthen economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean by creating a larger duty-free and tariff-free trading bloc capable of promoting investment, industrialisation and shared prosperity.
“When Ghana assumes the Chairmanship of the African Union next year, one of the initiatives I will champion is expanding the African Continental Free Trade Area to include the Caribbean,” President Mahama stated.
The President made the remarks during a media encounter in Kingston, Jamaica, as part of his five-day state visit to the Caribbean country.
He explained that extending the AfCFTA framework to the Caribbean would allow goods to move freely between the two regions without tariffs, creating new opportunities for businesses, investors and consumers.
“Including the Caribbean in the AfCFTA will allow goods to move between Africa and the Caribbean duty-free and tariff-free,” he emphasised.
President Mahama said the growing relationship between Africa and the Caribbean must be harnessed to deliver economic benefits for the people of both regions.
He cited the African Union’s decision to formally recognise the Caribbean as the seventh region of Africa as evidence of the deepening partnership between the two sides.
The recognition, he explained, had enabled the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to participate in AU discussions and deliberations on issues of common interest.
The President said the AfCFTA currently provides duty-free and tariff-free trade among African countries, serving a market of about 1.4 billion people with a combined economy valued at approximately US$3 trillion.
He said the proposal to extend the arrangement to the Caribbean would form part of Ghana’s priorities when it takes over the AU Chairmanship.
According to him, stronger commercial ties would complement the historical, cultural and diplomatic relations that already exist between Africa and the Caribbean.
President Mahama, however, noted that expanding trade between the two regions would require deliberate policy decisions, investment in infrastructure and sustained collaboration.
“We must invest in the necessary infrastructure and logistics to facilitate trade,” he said.
President Mahama explained that the AfCFTA had already established common product standards among participating countries, making it easier for certified products to move across borders.
Products benefiting from the harmonised standards include electrical cables, transformers, iron and steel products, processed foods and pharmaceuticals, among others.
He also highlighted the AfCFTA digital trading platform, which connects buyers and producers across participating countries, as well as ongoing efforts to establish a continental digital payment and settlement system.
These initiatives, he said, would improve efficiency, reduce barriers and make cross-border trade easier.
President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to deepening cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean through trade, investment and institutional partnerships that would deliver tangible benefits to citizens of both regions.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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