- African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP)
- West Africa
- Economic Partnerships
- Negotiations and agreements
- Trade policy
The EU has initialled an Economic Partnership Agreement with 16 West African states; the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
Until the adoption of the full regional EPA with West Africa, ‘stepping stone’ Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana entered into provisional application on 3 September 2016 and 15 December 2016 respectively.
- The text of the stepping stone agreements with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
- The stepping stone EPA with Ghana
- Updated Ghana Market Access Offer for products originating in the EU
- The stepping stone EPA with Ivory Coast
- Updated Ivory Coast Market Access Offer for products originating in the EU
- Impact Study of the interim EPAs with Ivory Coast and Ghana on regional trade in West Africa
- EU-Ivory Coast and EU-Ghana Interim EPAs – Joint monitoring reports
Trade picture
- West Africa is the EU’s largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the EU is West Africa’s biggest trading partner. Total trade between two regions amounted to €68 billion in 2025.
- The EU is the leading export market for West African processed products, including fisheries, agribusiness and textiles.
- West Africa’s exports to the EU consist mainly of fuels and food products, particularly cocoa and cocoa products. Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana together account for more than 60% of EU imports of cocoa and cocoa products.
- West Africa’s imports from the EU consist mainly of fuels, food products, machinery, and chemicals and pharmaceutical products.
- Trade in services between the EU and West Africa is growing, particularly in transport and logistics, travel, and business services.
- West Africa is the EU’s second most important investment destination in Africa, with total EU investment stock amounting to €54 billion in 2024.
- Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana have been provisionally applying stepping-stone Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the EU since 2016. Together they account for 32% of EU’s total trade with the West Africa. Nigeria accounts for another 38%.
- Since 2016, the EU’s total trade with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana has more than doubled, reaching €22 billion in 2025.
- Since 2016, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana have increased their exports of processed cocoa products to the EU market. Processed cocoa products now account for 46% of Ghana’s total cocoa exports to the EU and 42% of Côte d’Ivoire’s total cocoa exports, compared with 25% and 32% respectively in 2016.
The EU and West Africa
The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with West Africa covers goods and development cooperation. The EPA also includes the possibility to hold further negotiations on sustainable development, services, investment and other trade-related issues in the future.
- help West Africa to integrate better into the global trading system and will support investment and economic growth in the region;
- increase West African exports to the EU, and;
- stimulate investment and contribute to developing productive capacity, with a positive effect on employment.
Both parties have started to design together a monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the EPA.
All the countries in West Africa are members of the WTO.
Committees and Dialogues
The EU and West Africa meet regularly to discuss issues and best practices and oversee the proper functioning of the agreement.
Trading with West Africa
- Importing into the EU from West Africa
- EU trade defence measures on imports from West Africa
- Exporting from the EU to West Africa
- Trade relations are part of the EU’s overall political and economic relations with Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Mauritania
- Aid for trade:
- the EU provides aid through development cooperation (see The EU-West Africa trade and development: a partnership that counts).
- The EU also provides specific aid for trade in West Africa.
- Trade relations with West Africa are part of the EU’s overall political and economic relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
- EU-Côte d’Ivoire Economic Partnership Agreement: Creating opportunities for EU and African businesses (factsheet)
- EU-Ghana Economic Partnership Agreement: Creating opportunities for EU and African businesses (factsheet)
- See how the interim Economic Partnership Agreement is benefitting exporters in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana
Latest news
- News article
- 17 July 2026
EU and Côte d’Ivoire work on Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement
Today, the Commission launched negotiations for a bilateral Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (SIFA) between the EU and Côte d’Ivoire.
- News article
- 2 September 2024
EU’s first Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement enters into force with Angola
Today, the EU-Angola Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (SIFA) has entered into force. This is the first-ever EU agreement on investment facilitation. It aims to stimulate foreign investments needed to achieve sustainable development goals.
- News article
- 30 September 2022
Commission reports on ninth negotiation round with five Eastern and Southern African countries to deepen existing EPA
The European Commission has published the report summarising progress made during the latest negotiation round to deepen the existing Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with five Eastern and Southern African partners.
1 min read
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