Ghana targets 2030 ban on raw mineral exports

President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana will phase out exports of unprocessed mineral ores by 2030, setting a clear deadline for a shift toward domestic value addition. The announcement was made on October 19, 2026 at the Mining in Motion conference in Accra, signalling a central role for mining policy in the country’s broader industrial plans.

The 2030 target is intended to end the practice of shipping raw ores abroad and instead anchor more processing and related economic activity within Ghana. The plan focuses on a gradual transition, described as a phased prohibition, rather than an abrupt halt to existing export flows.

The prohibition will cover key minerals including bauxite, manganese, iron and lithium, which are central to Ghana’s current and prospective mining portfolio. Mahama indicated that the shift away from raw ore exports will be supported by legal measures, mineral-specific requirements and clear implementation timelines.

By tailoring rules and timetables to each mineral, the government aims to align regulatory changes with the development of domestic processing capacity. The phased design is intended to give producers and investors time to adjust operations and plan capital investments around in-country processing.

As part of the policy, investors granted access to Ghana’s mineral deposits will be required to meet defined local processing obligations. These obligations are intended to ensure that future mining projects are structured with in-country beneficiation as a core component, rather than relying on the export of unprocessed ore.

This approach links resource access directly to commitments on domestic processing, creating a framework in which mining agreements incorporate downstream investment. It also aligns investor responsibilities with the national objective of increasing value addition and industrial development linked to the mineral sector.

Mahama noted that Ghana has already imposed export restrictions on iron scrap and some non-ferrous metals, signalling that tighter controls on raw materials are already in place in parts of the sector. Some outlets have also reported restrictions on raw gold from artisanal and small-scale miners, reflecting efforts to manage informal exports.

The government is strengthening the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and pursuing a gold refining policy to expand local assaying and refining capacity. These initiatives aim to retain more value from gold production within Ghana by increasing the share of gold that is tested and processed domestically before export.

Taken together, the export restrictions, institutional reforms and the 2030 deadline for ending raw ore exports mark a broad restructuring of Ghana’s mineral policy. The measures seek to connect resource extraction more directly to local processing, manufacturing and related industrial activity over the coming years.