Ethiopia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in ethiopia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Trade Agreements
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Ethiopia originally signed a Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations with the United States in 1951, which was updated in 1994.  Ethiopia has no bilateral trade or investment agreement with the United States.  However, until 2022, the country was eligible for preferential access to the U.S. market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).  A decision on whether to resume AGOA trade privileges for 2024 is forthcoming.

Ethiopia is a signatory to the following trade agreements:  

  • Treaty Establishing the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) (Kampala, Nov. 1993)  
  • Agreement Establishing Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) (Nairobi, March 1996)  
  • African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group States -EU Economic Partnership Agreement (Cotonou, 23 June 2000)  
  • Continental level African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)
  • Abuja Treaty that aims to establish an Africa Economic Community among the continents 54 countries 

 

Ethiopia is not a member of the WTO though Ethiopia’s gradual accession to the WTO has been underway since 2003.  In August 2023, Ethiopian negotiators lined up a fifth working party meeting with WTO, tentatively set up for March or April 2024.