GEPA opens Ghana Trade House in Philadelphia, deepening commercial footprint in U.S

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 and reinforcing the country’s strategy to deepen access to key international markets.

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. Together, these 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.

Inaugurated on the margins of the Invest Ghana Business Forum and Exhibition in the United States, jointly organised by GEPA, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), and the Ghana Export and Import (EXIM) Bank, the facility is positioned as a one-stop commercial and export facilitation centre for Ghanaian businesses seeking to enter or expand in the American market.

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.

Beyond pure commerce, the facility is envisioned as a hub for economic diplomacy, cultivating ties with the substantial Ghanaian diaspora in the United States, strengthening people-to-people connections between the two countries, and increasing the non-traditional export target to the US from $405.6 million in 2025 to $1 billion by the end of 2026.

US-Ghana Trade Relations

According to figures from the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Census Bureau, total bilateral goods trade between the two countries reached an estimated $2.5 billion in 2025.

United States exports to Ghana also rose sharply by 32.6 per cent to $1.3 billion, while U.S. imports from Ghana totalled $1.2 billion. The trend continued into 2026, with bilateral goods trade surging more than 96 per cent year on year in March alone, suggesting that the structural conditions for deeper commercial integration are firmly in place.

Cocoa beans and cocoa paste were among Ghana’s leading exports to the United States in March 2026, valued at $52.8 million and $40.9 million, respectively. Ghana is also 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.

GEPA Success Story

Speaking at the inauguration, GEPA Chief Executive Officer Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur, Esq. framed the occasion as both symbolic and strategic.

“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, we are here to make entering global markets as smooth and achievable as possible,” he said.

Additionally, he said, the opening of the Philadelphia Trade House is the latest in a series of high-impact trade promotion milestones for GEPA this year, citing 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 $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 $150 million and $100 million, respectively.

The inauguration drew senior officials who underscored the Ghanaian government’s commitment to the initiative. In attendance were the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GIPC, Mr Simon Madjie, the CEO of GFZA, Dr Mary Awusi, and the CEO of Gold of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Mr Simon Madjie, and the CEO of GoldBod Jewellery, Madam Gertude Emefa Donkor.

National Asset

During the Invest Ghana Business Forum, the CEO of GIPC, Mr Simon Madjie, described the opening of the Ghana House as a national economic asset that can 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 further 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.

For her part, GFZA CEO Dr Mary Awusi said the Ghana Trade House will support the Authority’s broader objectives of deepening export-led growth, strengthening investor confidence, and expanding Ghana’s presence in global value chains.