Ghana EasyPASS and Publican AI in 2026: What Importers from China Need to Know

TL;DR

• EasyPASS: from 1 July 2026, by date of shipment, goods in listed HS groups need a Ghana Standards Authority certificate of conformity issued before they leave China. The exporter applies and pays, and inspection on arrival in Ghana does not replace it.
• Product groups: plastics, bags, textiles, footwear, metal goods, machinery and electronics, vehicles and parts, furniture and toys among others. FDA-regulated products are excluded.
• Fees: from 0.4% to 0.55% of FOB value with minimums of USD 275 to USD 350 per shipment, depending on the route. For a small consolidated lot the minimum can exceed 10% of the goods’ value.
• Open question: after a traders’ petition, a joint GSA and GUTA statement of 10 July 2026 said businesses outside the programme can trade under the previous conformity rules. That wording conflicts with the data sheet, so check your product before shipping.
• Publican AI: since 12 March 2026 every declaration passes through Publican AI. About a quarter are flagged and assessed values on flagged declarations rose by 17.5% on average. Rules as checked on 6 October 2026.

EasyPASS: what the Standards Authority published

The GSA data sheet sets the timeline: notice on 18 May 2026, launch on 1 June 2026, mandatory from 1 July 2026 by date of shipment. Covered goods fall into HS groups 25, 27 to 29, 31, 32, 3403, 36 to 40, 42, 47 to 65, 68 to 76, 78 to 80, 82 to 87, 89, 90 and 94 to 96, a list that covers most consumer goods traded from China. Food, drugs and cosmetics regulated by the FDA are excluded, as are banned used goods. Labelling must be at least in English.

The exporter applies, not the importer, and an inspection in Ghana is not accepted instead of the certificate. That puts the work on the China side of the shipment.

Routes and fees

The minimums matter most for small traders. A consolidated lot of USD 2,000 from one small supplier would pay at least USD 350 on Route A, which is 17.5% of its value. Grouping orders by supplier, or asking a regular supplier to register its products under Route B, keeps the share down.

The July 2026 dispute

The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations petitioned against the directive on 7 July 2026. In a joint statement on 10 July, the GSA and GUTA described EasyPASS as “not a new programme” and said companies that had not joined could keep trading under the previous conformity assessment rules without new costs. That reads differently from the data sheet and the GSA brochure, which call the programme mandatory from 1 July 2026, and it does not say how consolidated shipments are treated. Until the GSA clarifies, we treat EasyPASS as required for listed groups and confirm the rule for each product before shipment.

Publican AI: valuation on every declaration

The Ghana Revenue Authority issued its directive on 10 March 2026 and made Publican AI mandatory for all declarations from 12 March. The system compares declared values with world averages for the same goods and suppliers and flags those below. Graphic reported 24.7% of declarations flagged by mid-April. On 28 August 2026 the import and export advisory group said about 366,000 declarations had been reviewed, about 24% flagged, assessed values up 17.5% on average and about USD 300 million in extra revenue.

Freight forwarders and traders struck at all ports for three days from 14 April 2026, asking for a fast appeal process, rules for used goods and a review of transit restrictions. Valuation disputes keep containers at the terminal while demurrage runs, which shippers also complained about in July 2026.

What to do before shipping to Ghana

1. Check the HS code against the EasyPASS list. If it is covered, plan the certificate with the supplier before production ends.
2. Group lots by supplier. Per-shipment minimums hit small lots hardest.
3. Declare real values. Publican AI compares your invoice with world averages; a realistic invoice avoids a flag and the delay that comes with it.
4. Keep supplier documents. A flagged declaration is contested with invoices, payment records and price lists.

How Cargix handles Ghana

We consolidate in Guangzhou and Yiwu, check products against Ghana’s conformity rules before shipment and ship by sea or air with clearance by our licensed partner. Each quote states what is included. See How to import from China to Ghana in 2026 and our China to Ghana page.