Ghana and Colombia have agreed to establish a direct maritime shipping link between the Port of Tema and the Port of Cartagena, as both countries seek to expand trade between Africa and Latin America and reduce reliance on traditional transatlantic routes.

The agreement, reached in Bogotá and announced by Ghana's foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is expected to cut shipping times and costs while improving market access for exporters on both sides. It marks a rare direct logistics corridor between the two regions, where trade has long been constrained by indirect routes through Europe and North America, adding time and expense to shipments.

Beyond the shipping link, the deal includes cooperation on port operations, customs systems and infrastructure modernisation, with officials aiming to improve efficiency and competitiveness.

The move builds on recent diplomatic momentum. In December 2025, Colombia's Vice-President Francia Elena Márquez Mina visited Ghana to explore port investments and deepen commercial ties, part of Bogotá's wider effort to expand its footprint in Africa.

For Colombia, the partnership offers a gateway into West Africa's growing consumer markets. For Ghana, it provides more direct access to Latin America and supports its ambition to position Tema as a regional logistics hub.

Despite decades of diplomatic relations since 1988, trade between the two countries remains limited. Bilateral trade was estimated at about $3.2 million in 2025, according to the International Trade Centre, dominated by cocoa and coffee. Officials on both sides say the new corridor could help unlock trade in agricultural goods such as rice, sugar and processed foods, while supporting broader value chain development.

Ablakwa framed the agreement as both economic and symbolic, noting that the Atlantic route "previously represented the horror of slavery and a mass grave" but is now being reshaped into "a voyage of opportunity, job creation and economic empowerment."

The deal reflects a wider push by emerging economies to build new trade routes and diversify partnerships, as Africa and Latin America look to deepen South–South cooperation in a shifting global trade landscape.