Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has confirmed that Tema Port processed 1.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2025, establishing a new annual throughput record for the terminal and representing a 12% increase over the 980,000 TEUs handled in 2024. The achievement caps a multi-year investment cycle by GPHA that included berth deepening, yard equipment upgrades, and the deployment of a cargo tracking and gate automation system that began full operation in the second quarter of 2025.
The throughput growth reflects several converging factors. Ghana's import demand remained elevated across construction materials, consumer goods, and industrial inputs as several major infrastructure projects progressed and private sector investment sustained. At the same time, the automation improvements at Tema reduced average truck turnaround times within the terminal, which increased effective yard capacity by reducing the time each container slot was occupied by a vehicle undergoing manual documentation checks.
Clearing times, which had been a persistent source of frustration for importers and freight forwarders, showed measurable improvement. The implementation of a digitised single window documentation system, developed in coordination with the Ghana Revenue Authority, eliminated several steps that previously required physical counter attendance at the port. By late 2025, the Ghana Revenue Authority reported that compliant importers with pre-submitted documentation were achieving customs release within 48 hours of cargo availability in a significant proportion of cases, down from an average of five to seven days in 2023.
For freight forwarders and clearing agents active at Tema, the improvements are meaningful but come with a caveat. The efficiency gains are concentrated among importers whose documentation practices are already strong. Cargo with incomplete or inconsistent declarations continues to encounter delays, and the digitised system creates a sharper distinction between prepared and unprepared importers than the previous paper-based process did. Companies that have invested in documentation quality and compliance are benefiting disproportionately from the new environment.
GPHA has indicated that a further expansion of berth capacity is under evaluation to accommodate projected throughput growth through 2030, with a feasibility study expected to conclude by mid-2026. The port is also exploring expanded reefer plug capacity to support the growing agricultural export sector, which represents an area of strategic growth as Ghana seeks to diversify export revenues beyond petroleum.