The Ghana Leather and Footwear Manufacturers Association (GALFAM) has raised concern over the rising inflow of cheap imported footwear from China, saying it is hurting local manufacturers and putting thousands of jobs at risk in Ghana’s leather and footwear industry.
The association said over 70% of footwear sold in Ghana between 2024 and 2025 came from China with imports valued at more than $40 million.
Speaking at a press conference in Kumasi, GALFAM said many small and medium-scale footwear producers could shut down if the government does not take urgent action against growing import competition.
GALFAM President Gilbert Acquah Sintim said local manufacturers are struggling despite paying a 10% duty on imported raw materials and production related imports at the ports.
“It has become a bare fact that many of us today standing here buy every pair of shoe. We bury our dreams at the port. We ship millions dollars to China and we import poverty back home. This is not just a business issue. It is a national economic concern.”
– Gilbert Acquah Sintim, President, Ghana Leather and Footwear Manufacturers Association (GALFAM).
He said Ghanaian manufacturers have the capacity to produce quality footwear but continue losing market share due to the heavy presence of imported products.
According to data from the Ghana Statistical Office and UN Common Trade over 70% footwear sold in Ghana from 2024 to 2025 is imported from China with import value exceeding $40 million while Ghanaian footwear export remain below $1 million says Gilbert Acquah Sintim, President, GALFAM.
The association called on the government to increase tariffs on finished goods imported from outside the AfCFTA zone, enforce mandatory local procurement by state agencies and schools, launch a “Buy Ghana Made” campaign, stop misclassification of finished shoes as raw materials at ports and provide low interest financing through Ghana Exim Bank for industrial machinery.
