{"id":98745,"date":"2025-10-15T22:42:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T22:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=98745"},"modified":"2025-10-15T22:42:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T22:42:00","slug":"china-needs-zero-tariff-deal-more-than-ghana-prof-bokpin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=98745","title":{"rendered":"China needs zero-tariff deal more than Ghana \u2013 Prof. Bokpin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>2 Minute, 19 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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Economist Professor Godfred Bokpin has argued that China stands to gain more from the zero-tariff trade agreement with Ghana than Ghana itself. <\/p>\n

Speaking on JoyNews\u2019 PM Express<\/em> on October 15, Prof. Bokpin said the deal must be understood primarily from China\u2019s perspective, not Ghana\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cChina needed this more,\u201d he said. \u201cChina wants to reduce its exposure to the US market and diversify. China has been doing this consistently. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at the expansion in terms of trade openness between China and Africa, you can see China is very strategic. They want to reduce their exposure to the US, and they need markets.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted that even before the agreement, Chinese goods had already flooded the Ghanaian market. \u201cDo you want it to get worse?\u201d he asked. \u201cEven with some level of tariffs, Chinese goods are all over the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prof. Bokpin criticised the government for failing to properly consult key stakeholders like the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce before agreeing to the deal. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey are the big players, the ones doing the numbers,\u201d he said. \u201cYou needed broad-based consultation to understand how they see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He explained that while the agreement may appear mutually beneficial, it largely serves China\u2019s long-term economic strategy. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just an aspect of a bigger picture that China has for Africa,\u201d he said. \u201cRecently, a team of experts from China visited Ghana to identify investable projects\u2014part of a broader agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to host Evans Mensah\u2019s question about whether Ghana had a choice, Prof. Bokpin said, \u201cWe don\u2019t have an option. China is quite powerful as a trading partner and a development partner. <\/p>\n

\u201cGiven what we have seen in the last 20 years with Paris Club creditors and the rise of non-Paris Club creditors, we don\u2019t have many options.\u201d<\/p>\n

He argued that Africa lacks a coherent strategy for global trade engagement. <\/p>\n

\u201cHave we sat down to develop a strategy? Does Africa have a strategy to engage the rest of the world?\u201d he asked. <\/p>\n

\u201cHaving the African Continental Free Trade Area doesn\u2019t mean we are taking advantage of it. It\u2019s like saying that because Africa has more slots in the World Cup, it will win. It depends on how you prepare your players, who are your industrial sector actors and investors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prof. Bokpin pointed to deep structural weaknesses that make Ghana uncompetitive even with tariff protection. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur economic orientation is not designed to favour exports. Everything we are doing here is import-driven,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cLook at our financial system\u2014it supports imports, not production. The portion of private sector credit that goes to agriculture and manufacturing is small compared to what goes to services that fund trade.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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