Rubber Processors Association of Ghana Weeps

Rubber Processors Warn Ghana Risks $100 Million Annual Loss Without Local Value Addition

Accra, September 19, 2025 

The Rubber Processors Association of Ghana has cautioned that the nation stands to forfeit more than $100 million every year if it continues exporting raw rubber without adding value locally.

Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV, Association Chairman Emmanuel Akwasi Owusu highlighted that an increasing volume of raw rubber is being exported through poorly regulated channels, allowing foreign companies to profit while Ghana loses potential revenue and jobs.

“Because our raw rubber sells for about $600 per ton compared to $800 elsewhere, foreign buyers simply take it away. We are creating employment in other countries and weakening our own economy,” Mr. Owusu said.

He explained that processed rubber could fetch an additional $900 per ton, meaning Ghana forfeits significant earnings by exporting only raw material. “When you multiply that gap by our yearly production, the losses exceed $100 million,” he added.

The Association is calling for stricter enforcement of existing regulations and stronger incentives for local processing to boost value addition, protect domestic processors, and generate more jobs for Ghanaians.