Cocoa Paste Leads Ghana’s $5bn Non-Traditional Exports With $789.3m in 2025
Ghana’s drive to deepen value addition within its export sector is gathering momentum, with cocoa paste maintaining its position as the country’s leading non-traditional export in 2025.
Latest data from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority shows cocoa paste generated some $789.3 million in export earnings, ranking highest among the top 10 non-traditional export products for the year.
The strong outturn reflects a broader structural transition in Ghana’s export composition – from primary commodity exports toward processed and semi-processed goods.
According to the 2025 Non-Traditional Export Statistics Report, total earnings from the sector rose by 30.7 percent year-on-year to $5.006 billion, representing a record performance.
Demand for cocoa derivatives, particularly across European markets, continues to underpin cocoa paste’s dominance, as the product remains a key input in chocolate production and food processing.
The performance also signals Ghana’s growing ability to retain greater value within the cocoa value chain through domestic processing.
Other cocoa-based exports posted notable gains, with cocoa butter generating $635.7 million, while cocoa powder also ranked among the top contributors further consolidating the cocoa sector’s importance within the non-traditional export segment.
Outside cocoa, products such as cashew nuts, plastics, canned tuna, and shea derivatives contributed meaningfully to overall export growth, pointing to a gradual diversification of the export base. Cashew exports alone brought in approximately $297.6 million, while shea-based products recorded strong growth on the back of rising demand from the cosmetics and food industries.
GEPA data further indicates that manufactured and semi-processed goods accounted for more than 83 percent of total non-traditional export earnings, highlighting a sustained shift toward industrialisation and reduced reliance on raw commodity exports.
On the demand side, the Netherlands retained its position as Ghana’s largest export destination, followed by the United Kingdom and France. Meanwhile, intra-African trade, particularly within the Economic Community of West African States, continued to record steady growth.
Industry analysts note that cocoa paste’s leadership in the non-traditional export category has been consistent over the years, reflecting the impact of policy measures aimed at expanding local processing capacity and enhancing value addition across the cocoa sector.
