Ghana is taking steps to strengthen trade relations with Kenya by establishing an Export Trade House (ETH) in Kenya. The ETH will serve as a one-stop wholesale outlet for all products made in Ghana. As part of the measures to promote trade relations, Ghana will organize a three-day business expedition before the trade fair to showcase the goods it plans to import into Kenya. The move comes as many African nations are trading more independently, thanks to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the largest free trade area in the world.
Historically, trade barriers between East and West African nations have been low due to regulatory restrictions. Ghana and Kenya were the first two nations to sign their AfCFTA ratification agreements on the same day. The ETH aims to increase the availability of Ghanaian products strategically in the Kenyan market and promote items made in Ghana to the Eastern and Southern parts of Africa.
The Ghana Export Trade House is expected to be completed in May 2023, and all Ghanaian goods entering Kenya will go through the Trade House, which is located in Sameer Business Park. According to the United Nations COMTRADE database of international trade, Kenya exported $10.3 million to Ghana in 2021, while Ghana's top exports to Kenya were cocoa powder, rubber, other live plants, cuttings, and slips, as well as mushroom spawn.
Ghana's Ministry of Trade & Industry, The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), The National AfCFTA Coordination Office (NCO), and The Ghana Export Promotion Authority all worked together to organize the exhibition (GEPA). The establishment of the ETH in Kenya is seen as a significant step towards promoting trade relations between Ghana and Kenya and improving economic integration in Africa.