AGOA accords sub Saharan African countries the opportunity to export over 6,500 products on a duty-free and quota-free basis. Over the years, Ghana had not been able to derive much benefit from AGOA, hence the need to encourage them to form partnerships to make strides, Nana Dr Appiagyei Dankawoso I, President of GNCCI said.

He said this at a meeting called by the Chamber for Producers and Exporters to encourage partnerships to penetrate the U.S market to grow their businesses as well the economy. Nana Dankawoso said at the just ended AGOA Expo, which was a Trade Fair in New York, the Chamber explored a number of opportunities to enable business access US market.

He said the Chamber also identified strategic partners in U.S in the product areas such as shea butter and black soap, yam and plantain, and garments. "Particularly on garment, 800,000 hospitable scrubs will be sourced from Ghana to a Cincinnati based Standard Textile.

"Golf shirts, shirt, pants, lab coat, vest, apron, coverall, among others, will also be sourced from Ghana under AGOA," he added. Nana Dankawoso I said they have put plans in place to source one container a month, which would be increased as and when the Ghanaian manufacturers were up to the speed.

The collaboration, he said, would impact positively on the Ghanaian economy, contributing about 30 million dollars of foreign exchange into the Ghanaian economy within five years. It will also create employment opportunities for 3,000 workers who will otherwise be unemployed as well as help stabilise the cedi in relation to the U.S Dollar.

He said the collaboration will further provide training for workers and senior management in the garment industry and will place Ghana on the world map as a sourcing alternative to the Asian countries. He said the Chamber was working with the Ghana EximBank to build the technical and financial capacity of SMEs free of charge to utilise the opportunities under AGOA.

He, therefore, urged interested exporters to contact the Chamber for further assistance.