Could Ghana face US tariffs after joining BRICS?
Ghana wants BRICS partner status. Two Trump tariff warnings sit in the background, but neither is a rule that applies to Ghana.
By Ernest · 12 October 2026
Ghana's government says Cabinet has approved a bid to join BRICS, first as a partner country and later, it hopes, as a full member. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa told journalists the decision has been passed to India's foreign minister and to most of Ghana's international partners. He says Ghana stays non-aligned. [1]
The timing has people asking about Donald Trump's tariff threats. A headline figure of "10% to 100%" is going around. It needs care, because that range blends two different warnings. [1]
The two warnings are not the same
In November 2024, before returning to office, Trump threatened 100% tariffs on BRICS countries if they created a new currency or backed one to replace the US dollar. He repeated it on 30 January 2025. [1]
In July 2025 he wrote that any country aligning with the "anti-American policies" of BRICS would face an additional 10% tariff. He did not say what counts as anti-American. An administration source later told Reuters the tariff would depend on countries taking such policy actions, not apply immediately because of membership. [1]
So neither warning automatically applies to a country that seeks partner status. And there is no sign that Washington has classed anything Ghana has done as grounds for either one. [1]
Why the dollar question comes up
The Bank of Ghana's governor, Dr Johnson Asiama, has said Stanbic Bank is piloting a service that lets businesses pay Chinese suppliers from cedi accounts, with the supplier receiving yuan. GCB is preparing something similar. It uses China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System. Dollar payments and other routes remain available. [1]
Paying some trade bills in yuan does not by itself mean Ghana is backing a currency to replace the dollar. For importers it may simplify payments. Whether it costs less depends on exchange rates and fees. [1]
What Ghana already trades with the bloc
Four of Ghana's five largest export destinations in 2025 were BRICS members: the United Arab Emirates, India, South Africa and China. Switzerland was the exception. The government says the move could widen development partnerships, bring investment and support industrialisation. It also says interest in BRICS predates this administration: a Cabinet committee recommended joining in 2023. [1]
The Africa Report notes that Mahama is courting BRICS without leaving the IMF or Western markets, only months after Ghana finished its $3bn IMF programme. [2]
What is still unclear
Government has not published the policy paper behind the decision. The commitments Ghana would make are not public. A Finance Ministry adviser said in October 2025 that Ghana had offered zero tariffs on fewer than 150 products to China. It is unclear which products, or whether those concessions have taken effect. China's ambassador said in November 2025 that its own zero-tariff offer did not require Ghana to reciprocate. [1]
That matters for local manufacturers. Cheaper machinery and raw materials could help them. Cheaper finished goods that compete with Ghanaian products could hurt them. [1]
What this means if you send money or ship goods home
Nothing changes today. No tariff has been applied to Ghana because of BRICS, and transfer rates are set by providers, not by this decision. Check the rate tracker for current transfer costs.
Citizens will want to see the policy paper and the terms. Until then, this is a decision with stated aims and open questions.
Sources and data note
Prepared 12 October 2026 from the two reports below. Official US or Ghanaian government statements were not located; before any publication the Trump posts and the Cabinet decision should be checked against primary sources.
[1] MyJoyOnline, JoyNews Research, 12 October 2026
[2] The Africa Report, 12 October 2026
Balanced framing: no accusation made. Politics topic, held for Ernest's review.