Ghana tightens gold export controls, banning the export of unrefined handmade gold ingots from September 1st

Johannesburg, August 26 (Xinhua) -- Ghana, the largest gold producing country in Africa, recently issued new regulations on mining supervision. The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) announced this week that starting from September 1st, the export of unrefined handmade gold ingots will be prohibited, and all approved handmade gold must be refined locally in Ghana before applying to leave the country.

The announcement states that self financed licensed acquirers must revise their existing procurement agreements by August 31st, including "local refinement" as a necessary condition. All manually mined gold must be sent to a local refinery approved or designated by the Gold Bureau for processing before export, and the refining costs are borne by the purchaser or approved buyer.

The Ghana Gold Authority stated that export permits will only be issued by regulatory authorities after verifying that the gold has been refined domestically, related fees have been settled, and meets laboratory analysis and various regulatory requirements. Violating institutions may face sanctions including revocation of their business licenses.

Ghana is the largest gold producing country in Africa. The Ghana Gold Board, as the only authorized procurement and export agency for artisanal gold in the country, aims to regulate the artisanal gold mining industry chain, enhance the country's foreign exchange reserves, and export earnings.

The data shows that the institution will export 104 tons of handmade gold in 2025, and it is expected that the export volume will remain at or exceed this level in 2026.