Editorial: Unchecked raw rubber export undermines industrialisation agenda

President-Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) Dr. Humphrey Ayim Darke has strongly criticised the unchecked export of raw rubber in the country.

This practice threatens the local manufacturing sector’s growth and competitiveness as it is crippling local processors and undermining Ghana’s industrialisation agenda.

Dr. Ayim Dake  described it as a “blatant violation” of the Tree Crops Development Act, 2019 (Act 1010) and Tree Crops Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2471). He spoke at the 2025 Ghana Industrial Summit and Exhibition organised by AGI in partnership with the Biannual Environment, Science & Technology (BEST) Forum.

“Rubber industries that once operated three shifts have now forcibly been reduced to running a single shift. This is not only stifling production but also undermining government’s much-touted 24-hour economy agenda.”

If unchecked, he added, it can collapse the sector and worsen unemployment in the Western Region.

The AGI president called on government to strengthen border monitoring and patrols to stem the influx of smuggled and undeclared goods, which he said continue to distort the market and pose a threat to local manufacturers.

Chairman-Association of Natural Rubber Actors, Ghana (ANRAG) Emmanuel Akwesi Owusu cautioned that the country risks losing out on a lucrative global opportunity in natural rubber unless urgent policy and investment reforms are implemented.

The country currently loses an estimated US$100million annually due to continued exports of raw rubber instead of processing it locally, he noted.

Globally, natural rubber is a US$300billion industry and a key raw material for more than 50,000 products ranging from car and aircraft tyres to medical equipment.

Yet while neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire accounts for 13 percent of global output and is ranked as the world’s third-largest producer, Ghana remains a marginal player despite its favourable conditions for expansion.

Strict enforcement of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) Act, 2020 (Act 1010) and operationalisation of L.I. 2471 – which restricts raw rubber exports and mandates value addition – can prevent the situation from deteriorating.

The post Editorial: Unchecked raw rubber export undermines industrialisation agenda appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

Read Full Story