The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the Netherlands’ Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen Ghanaian exporters’ access to European Union (EU) markets.
The partnership is expected to provide technical assistance, market intelligence, business linkages and capacity-building support to help Ghanaian businesses meet international trade standards, improve competitiveness and increase exports.
The agreement was signed in Accra by Mr Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur, Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, and Mr Jeroen Verheul, the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, on behalf of their respective institutions.
The non-binding MoU establishes a framework for cooperation between GEPA and CBI to strengthen Ghana’s export competitiveness through exporter coaching, direct connections with European importers and buyers, participation in trade fairs and strategic partnerships to improve access to finance.
It will also support Ghanaian exporters to comply with European Union market access requirements, including certification and sustainability standards.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Verheul, representing the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, said the agreement reflected his country’s commitment to deepening trade relations with Ghana for mutual economic benefit.
He noted that the European Union remained an important export destination, with the Netherlands serving as a key gateway to the bloc.
Mr Verheul said the collaboration would help address challenges faced by both Ghanaian exporters and European importers while creating opportunities in areas such as ports development, river transportation, cold chain logistics, food safety, security and value addition.
Mr Arthur said the partnership aligned with GEPA’s mandate to diversify Ghana’s export base beyond traditional commodities such as gold and unprocessed cocoa.
He described the Netherlands as Ghana’s leading destination for non-traditional exports and said the collaboration supported the country’s target of increasing non-traditional export earnings to US$10 billion by 2030.
He said the initiative would equip Ghanaian exporters with a better understanding of European buyer requirements, enable product diversification, strengthen business capacity and improve competitiveness in the Netherlands and wider EU market.
Mr Wim van Heumen, representing the Managing Director of CBI, said the organisation would work closely with GEPA to support small and medium-sized enterprises operating in strategic sectors.
He said the support would focus on horticulture, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, cocoa, agribusiness under the processed fruits and vegetables value chain, and the final phase of the Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing (IT/BPO) services programme.
The signing ceremony, held at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Accra, was attended by Mr Eddison Mensah Agbenyegah, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, and senior management of GEPA.
