Mahama to Advocate Caribbean Entry into AfCFTA During AU Chairmanship

President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to promote the inclusion of Caribbean nations in the African Continental Free Trade Area when Ghana assumes the chairmanship of the African Union next year.

The President said the proposed expansion would strengthen economic relations between Africa and the Caribbean by creating opportunities for businesses in both regions to trade qualifying goods without import duties or tariffs.

He made the proposal during a joint media briefing with Jamaican Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston on Monday, August 3, 2026.

President Mahama is undertaking a four-day state visit to Jamaica.

“One of the things that I would champion when I become AU chair next year is to expand the remit of the African Continental Free Trade Area to include the Caribbean,” he stated.

Expanding a major African market

Explaining the importance of the initiative, President Mahama said AfCFTA currently enables participating African countries to trade approved goods with one another without paying import duties or tariffs.

According to him, the agreement is helping to build a single African market covering approximately 1.4 billion people, with a combined gross domestic product of nearly US$3 trillion.

He said extending the trade framework to Caribbean countries could open new markets for producers and buyers while improving commercial relations between the two regions.

President Mahama explained that AfCFTA operates through harmonised standards agreed upon by participating countries.

Under the system, national standards authorities assess and certify products that meet the required conditions. Approved goods are subsequently placed on a register that can be accessed by producers and buyers across the trading area.

He identified electrical cables, transformers, iron and steel products, pharmaceuticals and processed foods as examples of goods already eligible for duty-free trade under the agreement.

Local-currency payment platform

The President also disclosed that African countries were developing a payment platform that would enable trade transactions to be settled in local currencies.

He said the system would reduce reliance on a third currency when businesses in different African countries conduct cross-border transactions.

According to President Mahama, the platform could lower trading costs and make commercial exchanges across the continent more convenient when it becomes operational.

Transport and infrastructure challenges

Despite the potential benefits, President Mahama acknowledged that increasing trade between Africa and the Caribbean would require long-term commitment, investment and practical measures.

“We don't kid ourselves that you snap your finger and suddenly trade volumes will go up. We need to work at it,” he said.

He added that improved transport connections and stronger infrastructure between Africa and the Caribbean would be necessary for the proposed expansion to achieve its full economic potential.