Message from the Ambassador

May 24, 2012

Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum

Ghana is one of the fastest growing and most vibrant economies in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The country is increasingly a headquarters location of choice for international companies operating in West Africa as either a gateway to the West African sub-regional market of 250 million consumers, or the broader Sub-Saharan African market.  There are direct flights between Ghana and the United States on U.S. carriers, and over the past two years, companies such as GE and IBM have set up offices here.  As a lower middle income country with significant exports of gold, cocoa, and oil, Ghana has seen rapid development and economic growth in recent years, and improvements in ease of doing business and transparency.  Under President Obama’s National Export Initiative, two-way trade between the United States and Ghana has increased dramatically and was valued at nearly $2 billion in 2011.  U.S. companies of all sizes have had success in Ghana, and this is a very promising market for experienced U.S. exporters.

The relationship between Ghana and the United States is strong not only in terms of trade and investment, but also in development assistance to promote continued economic growth.  Ghana is one of only four global partners participating in the  Partnership for Growth (PFG),  a partnership to accelerate and sustain broad-based economic growth.  Ghana is one of the leading countries in West Africa for U.S. global agriculture and health initiatives such as the Feed the Future Initiative, the President’s Malaria Initiative and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.  The U.S. Agency for International Development is engaged in large-scale programs focused on economic growth, trade, agriculture, health, water and sanitation, education, and democracy and governance.  The U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation recently completed a first compact with Ghana that focused primarily on investments in transportation and agriculture infrastructure, and is now working with the Government of Ghana and other stakeholders to develop a second compact focused on the power sector.

The Embassy is here to assist and support U.S. businesses interested in investing or providing goods and services in Ghana.  I and my colleagues in the Foreign Commercial Service and Economic Section look forward to working with you as you consider doing business in this dynamic market.