Importing from China to Ghana: Duties, Standards and Steps in 2026

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's trade guide, China supplied 23% of Ghana's total imports, valued at $17 billion in 2024, well ahead of the European Union (15%) and the United Arab Emirates (9%) (trade.gov, accessed September 27, 2026). UN Comtrade puts Chinese exports to Ghana at $9.84 billion for 2024 (comtrade.un.org, accessed September 27, 2026). Vehicles, machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, iron, steel and textiles make up the bulk of this flow, whether for retail resale or for equipping construction sites and vehicle fleets.

Ghana applies the ECOWAS Common External Tariff, adopted in 2013 and in force since January 1, 2015, across five ad valorem bands (ecotis.ecowas.int, accessed September 27, 2026). Chinese goods are taxed under the same schedule as goods from any non-ECOWAS country: no preferential agreement lowers this tariff for China.

Since January 1, 2026, the Ghana Revenue Authority has calculated VAT at 15%, NHIL at 2.5% and the GETFund Levy at 2.5% on the same taxable value, for a combined 20%, replacing a previous system that stacked these levies before applying VAT (gra.gov.gh, accessed September 27, 2026). The 1% Covid-19 levy was scrapped on the same date.

Example on a CIF value of $10,000, with a 20% ECOWAS duty: the customs duty comes to $2,000, bringing the next base to $12,000. VAT adds $1,800, NHIL $300 and GETFund $300. Total taxes reach $4,400, before ICUMS and handling fees.

An import is declared on ICUMS, the Ghana Revenue Authority's single window in place since June 2020, which must be done through a licensed agent. The declaration assigns a unique tracking reference from loading through to release from the port (gra.gov.gh, accessed September 27, 2026).

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's trade guide, citing the World Bank, the average border-crossing time is around fourteen days, and 60 to 80% of shipments are inspected, routed to a green, yellow or red lane depending on the level of control required.

The Ghana Standards Authority runs a verification programme for High Risk Goods: food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, electrical and electronic items, construction materials, textiles, used goods, toys, batteries and pyrotechnics, around twenty categories in all (gsa.gov.gh, accessed September 27, 2026).

The typical process includes importer registration, the ICUMS declaration, a certificate of conformity, a label inspection, sample collection, then release. The GSA states an assessment turnaround of 24 hours, beyond which provisional release to a warehouse remains possible (gsa.gov.gh, accessed September 27, 2026).

For many manufactured products, this control runs through the Ghana EasyPASS programme. Since July 1, 2026, the GSA has taken over its direct management: applications are now filed with the GSA itself. The fees remain payable by the exporter or the Chinese manufacturer, not the Ghanaian importer (gsa.gov.gh, GSA-GUTA statement of July 22, 2026).

The Ghana Revenue Authority bans certain goods outright, and requires a licence from a specific ministry or agency for other categories (gra.gov.gh, accessed September 27, 2026).

Used vehicles deserve special attention: several Ghanaian media outlets (Citinewsroom, GhanaWeb, Modern Ghana) report a Ghana Standards Authority notice referenced GSA/DGS/PN/26/09, dated August 14, 2026, banning from October 1, 2026 any vehicle over fifteen years old, as well as vehicles that have been submerged, burned, or have a damaged chassis, replacing a previous ten-year threshold. It is the loading date, not the arrival date, that counts. As of September 27, 2026, this notice does not appear on gsa.gov.gh: reconfirm before any purchase.

Tema remains the main destination port for a container from China, with Takoradi as an alternative. According to specialist freight forwarders, to be confirmed case by case, port-to-port sea transit runs between 28 and 45 days depending on the route, departing from Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Nansha, Shanghai or Ningbo, on routes operated notably by Maersk, CMA CGM and Cosco.

For a first order, an FOB incoterm at the Chinese port, with a Ghana-based freight forwarder handling ICUMS and customs clearance, leaves the buyer in control of transport. A DDP incoterm should be avoided: it requires a third party to act as the official importer in Ghana, a role Sorva never takes on.

The Ghanaian cedi operates under the control of the Bank of Ghana; payments to a Chinese factory are settled in dollars or yuan, never to a personal account. A supplier asking for a transfer to an individual, or changing their bank details by email mid-order, should raise an immediate red flag. A deposit followed by a balance payment before shipment remains standard practice.

A first order follows a steady sequence, from the specifications through to delivery in Tema:

Sorva is a sourcing and trading house between China and the world, based in Guangzhou, with a Chinese subsidiary whose corporate purpose covers the purchase, resale and export of goods. A Chinese-speaking team researches and verifies factories for vehicles, construction materials, electronics and textiles, negotiates terms, arranges samples, has the goods inspected before loading, and prepares the shipping documents.

Sorva's base service is invoiced in dollars, complemented by quoted options when a country requires a specific certification. Sorva never presents itself as the official importer in Ghana, does not handle customs clearance on arrival, that role falling to the client or their Ghana-based freight forwarder, and does not export vehicles without going through a Chinese exporter licensed by the Ministry of Commerce. Contact: WhatsApp +33 6 15 55 62 52, [email protected].