Vehicles and transportation services at the core of the imports
Ghana's total goods imports amounted to around 13.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. Compared to other goods, vehicles and machinery represented the main imports category. In 2019, the country imported more than 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in motor vehicles for the transport of persons and goods. That same year, it registered transport equipment imports worth approximately 1.7 million U.S. dollars. Furthermore, the nation does not only trade in goods but also commercial services. Services imports amounted to nearly 10.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, having registered a generally increasing trend since 2009. Government and transportation services occupy a major portion of the nation's services imports. Overall, the import of goods and services contributes notably to Ghana's GDP. As of 2021, this contribution stood at over 40 percent. In fact, goods and services imports as a share of the country's GDP have remained between 35 and 45 percent since 2010.Import contribution from minerals and agricultural products
Other principal import trade commodities in Ghana are mineral fuels and non-fuel minerals. Fuels imported into the country amounted to 82 million U.S. dollars as of 2020, which signified a significant drop compared to values from 2011 onwards. Crude oil and natural gas are some of the mineral fuels internationally traded. In 2020, Ghana imported close to five million barrels of crude oil, while natural gas imports reached around 18.7 trillion British thermal units in 2021.The West African country also depends on agricultural imports, subsequently satisfying the nation's needs in this field. The annually increasing proportion of food in merchandise imports cannot be overlooked. As of 2020, food imports mainly consisted of cereals and cereal preparations, meat and meat preparations, fats, and oils. For instance, palm oil imports amounted to nearly 200 million U.S. dollars in 2020, while the value of sugars and confectionery imports reached around 158 million U.S. dollars in 2019.
