Ghana records trade surpluses with Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire
Ghana recorded significant trade surpluses with Burkina Faso (GHS576 million) and Côte d’Ivoire (GHS378 million) during the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting the country’s growing informal trade networks and deepening economic interdependence with its northern and western neighbours.
This was contained in the latest Informal Cross-Border Trade (ICBT) Survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), which estimated Ghana’s total informal trade at GHS7.4 billion, representing 4.3 per cent of the country’s overall trade during the period.
The survey, which covered more than 300 border points across ten regions, provides a detailed picture of Ghana’s informal trade ecosystem, one that continues to sustain livelihoods, enhance regional integration and promote small-scale enterprise development in frontier communities.
According to the report, while Ghana maintained a trade surplus with Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, the country registered a trade deficit of GHS539 million with Togo, suggesting varying trade patterns across its borders.
The disparities, the report explained, stem from differences in the types of goods exchanged and the infrastructure supporting trade flows.
Exports were dominated by beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, which accounted for the bulk of goods traded informally across borders, underscoring the strong demand for Ghanaian-manufactured products in regional markets. Imports, on the other hand, were led by cooking oil, rice and livestock, highlighting persistent domestic supply gaps and continued reliance on neighbouring countries for essential goods.
The Upper East Region emerged as the most vibrant hub of informal export activity, accounting for volumes estimated to be fifteen times greater than those of the Savannah Region, which ranked as the least active in the survey.
Beyond the economic data, the GSS report also revealed notable gender-based dynamics within Ghana’s informal trade. Men were found to dominate the transport and logistics aspects of exports, while women led import and market operations, especially along the northern and western trade corridors, reinforcing the crucial role of women in sustaining border economies.
The GSS emphasised that understanding these informal trade flows is essential for evidence-based policymaking, regional cooperation and efforts to integrate informal traders into Ghana’s broader economic growth strategy under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.
