Ghana’s total export to Italy in 2013 amounted to $751 million dominated by petroleum oils, cocoa beans and tuna, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry at the launch of Milan Expo in 2015.
He said while the country had run a large trade deficit with Italy from 2000 to 2010, the trend reversed in 2011 with Ghana reporting a significant trade surplus against Italy in 2011 and 2012. This was as a result of exports of petroleum oils.
Dr Spio-Garbrah noted that Italy is Ghana’s 18th largest supplier of imports, supplying 1.2 per cent of Ghana’s imports worth $257 million in 2012 and Ghana’s 2nd largest export destination, accounting for 12.4 per cent of exports worth 976 million dollars in 2012.