Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, on the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.
The two leaders reviewed a 50 percent rise in bilateral merchandise trade and a 35 percent increase in Canadian exports to Ghana last year. They welcomed the recent signing of a Letter of Intent that will guide work toward a broader economic cooperation framework covering renewable energy, mining, critical minerals and infrastructure development.
Canada’s Prime Minister describes Ghana as a strategic partner for its trade diversification goals, and both governments say they are building resilient economies.
“We just had your Foreign Minister in Canada, and we’re working towards an MOU on a broad range of areas, including energy, critical minerals, trade, development, and other aspects.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
The Prime Minister’s Office disclosed that the leaders discussed the growing partnership and agreed to remain in close contact. The numbers support that optimism. Two-way merchandise trade stood at $752 million in 2025, while Canadian exports reached $427 million, up 35 percent from 2024 on the back of higher automobile sales.
Automobiles and cereals led Canada’s exports to Ghana, and cocoa and soya beans led its imports. Ghana ranked as Canada’s eighth-largest trading partner in Africa in the year 2025.
Letter of Intent Sets the Direction
The Letter of Intent gives that growth a clear path. It will guide work toward a Canada-Ghana economic cooperation framework, which, once in effect, would support new commercial opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses.
The statement sets no timeline for that framework. Prime Minister Carney opened his remarks, as shared by his office, with a greeting to the Ghanaian leader. “It’s great to see you again, and we have a lot to discuss,” he told President Mahama.
The leaders also exchanged views on their efforts to build resilient economies. Prime Minister Carney credited President Mahama with a leading role in that work. “You helped to lead a Reset domestically and within the global system.”
Canadian official information describes the Ghanaian government’s priorities in similar terms. It aims to boost productivity, industrialization and export-led growth through private sector investment and expanded economic activity, which Ottawa sees as an opening for Canadian firms.
Mining, Energy and Critical Minerals in Focus
The sectors named in the statement point to where Canadian interest is strongest. Canadian assets in Ghana’s mining sector were estimated at $710 million in 2025, giving the proposed framework an established base to build on.
Renewable energy, critical minerals and infrastructure development complete the list of priorities. For Ghanaian businesses and workers, the framework could translate into new partnerships in industries central to the national economy.
The meeting also draws on a long diplomatic record. Canada has kept a High Commission in Accra since 1957, the year of Ghana’s independence, and Ghana has maintained a High Commission in Ottawa since 1962, with consulates in Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal. More than 25,000 people born in Ghana live in Canada.
Education adds a human dimension. Ghana was the second-largest source of international students from sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, with 7,760 student permits issued, though that figure fell to 4,285 in 2025. Aviation links are also growing, after Canada and Ghana concluded their first Air Transport Agreement on March 5, 2025.
Ghana’s Continental Standing Strengthens its Appeal
The country hosts the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra, and Canada cites its stability, strong real GDP growth, and AfCFTA leadership as reasons to deepen ties.
With a Letter of Intent signed and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under discussion, attention now shifts to the detailed work of turning political goodwill into a framework.
Trade has already surged, and both leaders have committed to staying in close contact. Ghanaian exporters, miners, and investors will watch closely for the terms.
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