Port Congestion and Bank Pressure Squeeze Ghanaian Importers as Shipping Times Double

Ghanaian importers are caught in a painful squeeze between congested ports, extended shipping routes, and banks demanding loan repayments before goods have even cleared customs. That is the picture painted by Clement Boateng, President of the Ghana Union of Traders' Associations (GUTA), who has called for urgent relief measures to help the trading community survive the mounting pressures.

Shipping disruptions and port backlogs piling up

At the heart of the crisis are two compounding delays. First, shipments from the United Arab Emirates — a major sourcing hub for Ghanaian traders — are taking far longer than usual to arrive. Mr Boateng attributed this to ongoing conflict and developments around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which a significant share of global cargo passes. With vessels being forced to reroute, journey times that once ranged from 45 to 60 days have stretched to as long as three to four months.

Once goods finally reach Ghana's shores, traders face a second obstacle: congestion at the port. Mr Boateng noted that rising cargo volumes have led to clearance backlogs, adding yet more waiting time before importers can get their goods to market.

"As far as clearance is concerned, at the port, because of the huge volumes of cargo that is coming now, it has also resulted in some delays," he said during a recent interview.

Despite the difficulties, the GUTA President acknowledged that business conditions in 2026 have not been entirely bleak. However, the structural problems with shipping and port operations are creating serious cash-flow headaches for traders who cannot afford to wait.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ghana's import-dependent economy means that disruptions to global supply chains hit local traders — and ultimately consumers — hard. A large segment of Ghana's trading community, particularly those in textiles, electronics, household goods and foodstuffs, source a significant portion of their stock from the UAE and broader Middle East and Asia corridor. Any sustained disruption to those routes ripples quickly through markets in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and beyond.

The financial dimension makes the situation even more urgent. Many traders rely on short-term bank facilities to finance their imports. Under current lending practices, repayments are typically required from the month following disbursement — regardless of whether the goods have arrived. This means traders may be servicing loans for months while their stock sits somewhere at sea or in a congested port yard, generating no income whatsoever.

"And assuming you've gone to take a facility from the bank, they will be on your neck because once you take a facility from them, the repayment starts the following month," Mr Boateng said.

This mismatch between lending schedules and the realities of international trade is not new, but the current shipping disruptions have made it far more acute. Traders who might previously have cleared their goods comfortably within the loan's grace period are now falling behind through no fault of their own.

GUTA's call for a moratorium

To ease the burden, Mr Boateng has renewed a call for Ghanaian banks to introduce a moratorium period — a window between loan disbursement and the start of repayments — that would give traders adequate breathing space to receive, clear and sell their goods before financial obligations kick in.

Such an arrangement is not unusual in trade financing globally, and advocates argue it would reduce defaults, support small and medium-sized importers, and ultimately help stabilise prices in local markets by keeping supply chains functional.

• The Bank of Ghana and commercial lenders have yet to publicly respond to the moratorium proposal.
• Longer shipping times also raise the risk of traders missing seasonal demand windows, compounding financial losses.
• Consumers could feel the effects through reduced availability of imported goods or higher retail prices if the situation persists.

As global trade routes remain unsettled and Ghana's port infrastructure struggles with rising volumes, the pressure on the country's import traders looks set to continue in the near term. GUTA is urging both government and financial institutions to treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves.