International trade through Ghana’s main harbours, Tema and Takoradi, has experienced a promising surge, with laden container traffic for inbound and outbound containers reaching 60,000 as of March 2024.
This marks a notable increase from the 57,000 recorded in January of the same year, according to the Bank of Ghana’s May 2024 Summary of Economic and Financial Data.
Despite this positive first-quarter growth in 2024, container traffic remains below pre-pandemic levels.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, post-pandemic container traffic stood at 182,550, a decline from the 195,135 recorded in 2020.
The trend of marginal decline continued, with traffic at Tema and Takoradi harbours hovering around 150,000 in the third quarter of 2023.
Stakeholders in the trading community have expressed concerns about the perceived loss of port traffic to neighbouring countries, particularly Lome. However, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has strongly refuted these claims.
The recent increase in trade activity through Ghana’s ports is a positive sign for the nation’s economy, demonstrating resilience and recovery amid global challenges.
