Affected by Brexit, bananas exported from Ghana to the United Kingdom will be subject to tariffs of at least 100,000 pounds, which not only threatens the livelihoods of banana growers, but also makes British importers suffer unspeakably.
The British Independent reported on the 24th that Ghana and the United Kingdom reached a trade agreement on the eve of the New Year (that is, before the end of the Brexit transition period), but this month it was still imposing huge tariffs on Ghana, which aroused dissatisfaction among people from all walks of life.
According to the report, Ghanaian banana exporters and British importers have suffered huge losses due to tariffs, and are expected to lose about $20,000 a week.
Saidler, a British banana importer, said: “No enterprise can continue to operate at such a high additional cost.” George Clay, a banana exporter from Ghana, said he only learned on January 1 that Britain would impose punitive tariffs despite the signing of the two countries.
“It’s clear that this punitive tariff treats the symptoms rather than the root causes, and it’s important to find a solution as soon as possible and let us reduce the burden,” Clay said.
He also said that if the tariffs last for several weeks, more than 3,000 workers in the banana industry in rural Ghana will face unemployment.
