Browse Data and Analysis

Ghana’s 2024 imports of foreign wine at $35.2 million are up nearly 3.5 percent from last year; heralding the Ghanaian economy's and its import market's recovery from the financial meltdown of 2022.

Ghana’s imports of food processing ingredients surpassed $1.24 billion in 2024, up 44 percent from $857 million in 2023.

In 2024, the Dutch food processing industry continued to face challenges due to geopolitical tensions, market uncertainty, and rising raw material costs, all of which are causing price fluctuations.

Between 2018 and 2024, U.S. exports of confectionery products have skyrocketed from $4 million to $28 million and exports of chocolate and cocoa product grown from $16 million to a record high $31 million.

Ghana’s modern retail outlets are in the country’s large urban centers, where the major shopping malls are located. Beyond the capital city of Accra and the regional capitals, retail stores tend to be smaller. The retail sector is dominated by small local grocers, who control 83 percent of the market.

After a 2023 outbreak, and the authorization of three types of vaccines, a new Bluetongue disease outbreak occurred again in the Netherlands in the summer of 2024. The disease is also spreading to neighboring countries Belgium and Germany.

The turnover of the Dutch retail sector was valued at $54 billion in 2023. The sector is relatively consolidated, with the two largest food retailers controlling almost 60 percent of the market. Due to rising retail prices, consumers visit multiple supermarkets and increasingly choose private label products.

Alcoholic beverages imported into Ghana increased from $56 million in 2019 to $87 million in 2023. Similarly, imports of U.S. alcoholic beverages to Ghana are on an upward trend in the same period from $267,000 in 2019 to $1 million in 2023.

Ghana’s food processing industry is developing and remains a major importer of ingredients for food processing. These imports will continue to grow as the sector is unable to meet increased demand.

The turnover of the Dutch food processing industry in 2021 (most recent data available) was valued at $99 billion. There are almost 8,500 food processing companies active in the Netherlands and together they account for over 150,000 jobs.

The Netherlands is working towards a ‘sugar tax’. As a first step, the existing levy on non-alcoholic beverages (excluding dairy, soy drinks and water) was increased to €0.26 ($0.29) per liter starting January 1, 2024.

The turnover of the Dutch retail sector was valued at $48.7 billion in 2022. The sector is relatively consolidated, with the two largest food retailers controlling almost 60 percent of the market. Retail prices of some basic shopping items increased by 15 percent, resulting in consumers visiting multiple supermarkets and increasingly choosing private label products.