In January–July 2026, Ukraine imported approximately 10.9 thousand metric tons of manganese ore, whereas there were no imports of this product during the same period last year.
According to data from the State Customs Service, virtually the entire volume of shipments came from Ghana—10,896 metric tons worth $1.677 million. An additional 5 metric tons, worth $3,000, were imported from China.
Thus, Ghana accounted for 99.82% of the value of Ukraine’s manganese ore imports in January–July.
The resumption of imports coincides with the recovery of foreign trade in manganese ore overall. Over the seven-month period, Ukraine exported 24,647 metric tons of such products worth $4.227 million.
The average estimated price of exported ore was approximately $171 per metric ton, while that of ore imported from Ghana was approximately $154 per metric ton. These figures are estimates based on customs value and physical shipment volumes and do not reflect differences in the quality and characteristics of the raw material.
Manganese ore imports into Ukraine have fluctuated significantly in recent years. In 2024, the country imported 84,293 thousand metric tons worth $18.302 million.
In 2025, imports fell to 37,006 thousand metric tons, valued at $5.546 million. Notably, the entire volume was shipped from Ghana in November alone, while imports were virtually nonexistent from January through October.
The resumption of shipments as early as the first half of 2026 may indicate growing demand for raw materials in the ferroalloy industry amid a gradual recovery in production.
The main consumers of manganese ore in Ukraine are enterprises in the ferroalloy industry. The Nikopol and Zaporizhzhia Ferroalloy Plants halted smelting after Ukrainian mining companies ceased extraction of raw manganese ore in the fall of 2023; however, ferroalloy production was partially resumed in the summer of 2024.
The establishment of the first Ukrainian agri-hub in Ghana is a positive step toward expanding Ukraine’s presence in the African market, however, to establish a foothold in the region, Ukraine must engage international financial institutions as guarantors of security and transition from exporting raw materials to supplying value-added products, stated Leonid Kozachenko, President of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC).
“Africa is a complex region, but at the same time, it is the continent that suffers most from food shortages in the world. Ukraine produces five times more food than it consumes itself. Therefore, expanding our presence in the African market means both saving lives and opening up enormous economic prospects,” he said on Ukrainian Radio.
According to him, previous attempts by Ukrainian businesses to invest in production in Africa or to independently supply grain often resulted in financial losses and incidents of piracy due to political instability. To minimize such risks, Kozachenko proposes involving UN agencies, particularly the FAO, and global financial institutions that can act as intermediaries and guarantors of trade transactions.
Currently, Ukrainian goods account for less than 5% of total imports to African countries. To increase volumes, the expert advises drawing on the experience of Turkey and the UAE, which supply the continent not with raw materials but with finished products—flour, pasta, and grains.
According to Kozachenko, the state’s strategic goal should be to attract approximately $85–90 billion in investments over the next 10 years specifically for domestic processing. This would allow annual agricultural exports to increase from the current $27 billion to over $120 billion.
When assessing potential locations for a hub, the head of the UAC noted that West Africa is a challenging region due to internal conflicts. He considers North Africa, particularly Morocco, to be a more promising destination for logistics centers, as it has a more stable economy and opportunities for further distribution of products across the continent.
Ukraine has confirmed its readiness to open a food grain hub in Ghana and is interested in joint projects for the processing of agricultural products, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said following talks with his Ghanaian counterpart Samuel Okudzeto Ablakawa in Kyiv on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the parties discussed strengthening global food security and developing agricultural partnerships. Sybiga emphasized that Ukraine considers Ghana a key partner in West Africa and is ready to remain a reliable supplier of agricultural products to the region.
“Ukraine is ready to remain a reliable supplier of agricultural products and at the same time is interested in joint projects with added value, particularly in the field of processing and logistics,” said the head of the foreign ministry.
As reported, in July 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on cooperation in the agricultural industry. The presidents agreed to expand practical cooperation, particularly in the construction of a logistics hub for food storage. Zelensky also confirmed his intention to send a Ukrainian delegation to Ghana to work on these projects.
Ghana has consistently supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including by voting in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution “Support for sustainable peace in Ukraine” on February 24, 2026.
Ghana intends to implement new logistics projects to increase and make more predictable the exports of agricultural products from Ukraine, a similar intention previously announced by Nigeria and Senegal.
According to the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on Friday, the deepening of cooperation in agriculture and trade relations was discussed by Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy Nikolay Solsky and Ghanaian Minister of Food and Agriculture Owusa Afriy Akoto.
It is specified that the parties considered the issue of creation of a joint project – a logistics hub for food storage, which will allow to store high-quality grain, promote the predictability of sales and stabilization of world food prices.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy recalled that the Republic of Ghana was the third country visited by a delegation of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy during its official visit to African countries, each of which expressed its desire to create a logistics hub for the export of Ukrainian grain.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is on a visit to Ghana as part of a tour of African countries, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said.
“We continue to open Ukraine to Africa. The next stop on the minister’s tour is Ghana,” Kuleba wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister held successful talks in Côte d’Ivoire.
“The Minister was received by Temoko’s Vice President Maylie Kone, met with Foreign Minister Candia Camara and opened a business forum with the participation of more than twenty Ukrainian and Ivorian companies. Côte d’Ivoire announced its decision to join the Crimean Platform. Abidjan stands in solidarity with Ukraine on against the backdrop of Russian aggression,” Nikolenko said.
According to him, Ukraine and Côte d’Ivoire agreed to intensify cooperation in the field of security, digitalization, education and agriculture.
