Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed Ghana’s exclusion from Washington’s visa sanctions following a bilateral review meeting with Acting United States (US) Ambassador Rolf Olson, marking continued progress in relations between the two nations.
The Tuesday meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assessed developments from 2025 and established priority areas for cooperation in 2026. Ghana remains exempt from President Donald Trump’s visa sanctions and 15,000 dollar visa bonds imposed on other countries, while benefiting from the removal of a 15 percent tariff on unprocessed and semi-processed agricultural products.
The US delegation conveyed that the House of Representatives voted 340 to 54 to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by three years. The legislation, which lapsed in September 2025, now awaits Senate approval before reaching President Trump’s desk. The programme provides duty free access to the US market for eligible sub Saharan African countries and products.
Ablakwa said the extension would boost Ghana’s garment industry and create jobs. Ghana’s cocoa derivatives, processed fruits, and apparel exports have relied heavily on AGOA’s preferential access, though the programme’s expiration in late 2025 created uncertainty for exporters.
On World Cup preparations, US officials assured Ghana that special measures would expedite visa applications, addressing delays that have frustrated travelers. The embassy is scheduled to hold a press conference on the new initiatives.
Security cooperation featured prominently in discussions. Both parties highlighted the extradition of nine suspects from Ghana to the US in 2025 and ongoing efforts to return two individuals from the US to Ghana. Ablakwa noted that Washington assured Ghana it would not block the removal of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta and former Minister for Public Procurement Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, subject to judicial processes.
Ofori Atta was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 6 at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia. The US Department of Justice is reviewing Ghana’s extradition request under dual criminality doctrine, which requires confirmation that alleged financial crimes in Ghana would also be prosecutable in the US.
The former minister faces 78 corruption related charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), including conspiracy to influence procurement processes for unfair advantage in contract awards. His US visa was revoked in July 2025, and authorities gave him until November 29 to leave the country.
Tamakloe Attionu was convicted of causing financial loss to the state and sentenced in Ghana in 2024. The Attorney General’s formal request sent to the US Department of Justice in mid 2024 remains under review, with authorities awaiting procedural completion.
Ablakwa said recent payments to US companies and improvements in Ghana’s business climate are laying groundwork for stronger trade. He revealed that Ghana will negotiate a bespoke trade agreement with Washington in 2026, alongside plans for new health cooperation.
The minister praised what he characterized as incredible positive velocity in Ghana US bilateral relations, underscoring the strategic importance of the partnership for Ghana’s economy. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the state of relations and committed to sustaining collaboration to advance mutual interests.
Ghana’s trade relationship with the US has delivered tangible benefits, including the restoration of five year visas for Ghanaian citizens and aviation improvements. Delta Air Lines launched seasonal service from Atlanta to Accra in December 2025, operating daily through January 16, while Air Transat of Canada is set to launch historic nonstop flights from Ghana to Canada on June 17.
The bilateral meeting followed a separate January 7 discussion in Washington between Ghana’s Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu Adjare and US Trade Representative Jamieson Lee Greer, where both countries reaffirmed commitment to expanding bilateral trade and attracting US investment into key sectors of the Ghanaian economy.
