The Ministry of Trade and Agribusiness has says exporters, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), continue to face significant trade financing challenges that are limiting their ability to scale production, meet international quality standards and access new regional and global markets,
Mr. Kwame Oppong-Ntim, Director of Agribusiness at the Ministry, said limited access to affordable and timely finance remained one of the most critical barriers to Ghana’s export competitiveness.
In an interview, Mr. Oppong-Ntim noted that many SMEs operated with weak liquidity positions, making it difficult for them to invest in improved production processes, certification, packaging and logistics required to compete in export markets.
“Many SMEs struggle with financial liquidity, and that affects their ability to meet quality standards consistently and take advantage of new market opportunities,” he said.
He explained that exporters often faced a mismatch between production timelines and payment cycles, as international buyers typically paid after delivery, leaving exporters to pre-finance inputs, processing and shipment.
According to him, this financing gap discouraged expansion, reduced order fulfilment capacity and, in some cases, forced exporters to rely on informal and high-cost sources of capital.
Mr. Oppong-Ntim said government is encouraging the use of structured trade finance instruments such as credit financing, export credit guarantees and export credit insurance to de-risk transactions and improve exporters’ access to funding.
“With the right trade finance tools, exporters can scale up production, manage risks and confidently engage buyers across the sub-region and beyond,” he said.
He explained that export credit insurance, in particular, could protect exporters against payment default by buyers, making them more attractive to banks and other financial institutions for lending.
Mr. Oppong-Ntim said access to credit-backed financing would enable exporters to invest in value addition, meet sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and comply with packaging and traceability requirements demanded by international markets.
He noted that improved financing would also support exporters to take advantage of opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), where consistent supply and competitive pricing were critical.
The Director of Agribusiness said strengthening trade finance for SMEs is essential not only for export growth but also for job creation, foreign exchange earnings and industrial development.
He urged financial institutions, insurers and development partners to deepen collaboration with government to design export-friendly financing products tailored to the needs of agribusinesses and manufacturing exporters.
Mr. Oppong-Ntim said addressing trade finance constraints would help reposition SMEs as reliable suppliers within regional and global value chains, enhance Ghana’s export resilience and reduce the economy’s dependence on primary commodity exports.
He expressed optimism that with targeted policy support and wider adoption of trade finance tools, Ghanaian exporters could improve their competitiveness and expand their footprint in international markets.
