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, it was until 2022 eligible for preferential access to the U.S. market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). In 2015, Ethiopia was approved for AGOA privilege extension for the coming 10 years until 2025. Though, due to the ongoing civil war in the northern part of Ethiopia, the AGOA privileges have been withdrawn as of January 2022.  

Ethiopia is a signatory to the following trade agreements:   

• Treaty Establishing the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) (Kampala, 5 November 1993)   

• Agreement Establishing Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) (Nairobi, March 1996)   

• African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group States (ACP)-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (Cotonou, 23 June 2000)   

• At the continental level, Ethiopia has acceded to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which aim to create one common market of all countries on the continent.   

• Ethiopia has signed and ratified the Abuja Treaty that aims to establish an Africa Economic Community among the continents 54 countries.  

Ethiopia renewed its dormant WTO accession process through Working Party meetings at the WTO Secretary in 2019 and early 2020. Ethiopia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been underway since 2003, and in 2012 it submitted its goods offer. The government of PM Abiy Ahmed has emphasized the goal of WTO accession, however the timeline for completing the process remains unclear.