Risk Assessment of Ghana-EU iEPA Implementation

The Project at A Glance

The interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) between Ghana and the European Union (EU) is a development-oriented free trade agreement which provides duty-free and quota free access for Ghana’s exports to the EU, while Ghana will progressively liberalize its imports from the EU. On the EU side, the liberalisation process started just after the signing of the iEPA by the parties, in 2016. On Ghana’ side, the first step of liberalisation was initiated mid-2021.
During the iEPA implementation process, a scrutiny is needed to permit the early detection of negative effects of imports of EU products on any of Ghana’s industries and products and inform the government of Ghana to take appropriate countermeasures. In this regards, International Economics conducted a risk assessment study for the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to implement the iEPA.

What We Found

Specifically, through the risk assessment study, we identified sectors/industries, products and producers that may be sensitive to increased import competition. The study was a formalised approach for the identification and assessment of risks associated with iEPA implementation.
This is particularly important as it helps the iEPA Secretariat to collect data in a thorough, consistent and transparent way, so that decisions can be made on a sound evidence base.

Our Strategy and Impact

The process of carrying out the risk assessment study was broken down into the following 2 stages:

Step 1: Risk Identification: Relying on a clear, transparent and coherent methodology, we identified the products and producers that may be sensitive to increased import competition because of the iEPA implementation.
Step 2: Risk Assessment: In this process, the risk level was evaluated.

Our Core Solutions

Free Trade Agreements have been proliferating at a rapid pace for many years now, in view to facilitate stronger trade and commercial ties between participating countries. It is important to understand the trade provisions and the potential risks of a trade agreement, to ensure the smooth implementation. At International Economics, we support governments and negotiators in trade negotiation and provide evidence-based analyses and policy options. agreement. We identify and evaluate options for the mitigation of risk.