President Mahama to champion AfCFTA expansion to Caribbean as AU Chair

President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to champion the expansion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to include Caribbean countries when Ghana assumes the Chairmanship of the African Union next year.

The President said the initiative would strengthen economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean by creating a larger duty-free and tariff-free trading area that promotes investment, industrialisation and shared prosperity.

Responding to questions during a media encounter in Jamaica, President Mahama said relations between Africa and the Caribbean had grown stronger in recent years, citing the African Union’s decision to formally recognise the Caribbean as the seventh region of Africa.

“I believe cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean has grown stronger than it was in the past,” he said.

President Mahama explained that the AU’s recognition now allows the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to participate in African Union meetings and discussions on issues affecting both regions.

He said Ghana intended to build on that development by advocating the inclusion of Caribbean countries in the AfCFTA during its tenure as Chair of the African Union.

“When Ghana assumes the Chairmanship of the African Union next year, one of the initiatives I will champion is expanding the African Continental Free Trade Area to include the Caribbean,” President Mahama stated.

He noted that the AfCFTA currently provides duty-free and tariff-free trade among African countries and serves a market of approximately 1.4 billion people with a combined economy valued at about US$3 trillion.

According to the President, extending the arrangement to the Caribbean would allow goods to move freely between Africa and the Caribbean without tariffs, creating new opportunities for businesses and investors on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Including the Caribbean in the AfCFTA will allow goods to move between Africa and the Caribbean duty-free and tariff-free,” he said.

President Mahama described the proposal as one of the priorities of Ghana’s forthcoming AU Chairmanship, adding that stronger commercial ties would complement the growing historical, cultural and diplomatic relations between Africa and the Caribbean.

He emphasised that expanding trade between the two regions would require deliberate policy choices and sustained collaboration.

“We must invest in the necessary infrastructure and logistics to facilitate trade,” he said.

The President noted that the AfCFTA already harmonises product standards across participating countries, allowing certified products to be traded more easily across borders.

He cited products such as electrical cables, transformers, iron and steel products, processed foods and pharmaceuticals as examples of goods already qualifying for trade under the continental arrangement.

President Mahama also pointed to the AfCFTA digital trading platform, which connects buyers and producers across participating countries, as well as ongoing efforts to establish a continental digital payment and settlement system.

He said Ghana remained committed to strengthening cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean through trade, investment and institutional partnerships that would deliver tangible benefits for the people of both regions.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD