Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) announced that the nation has generated over $9.58 million in revenue from exports within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) over the past five months. This milestone marks a transformative era for Ethiopia as it shifts its trade focus toward the burgeoning African market.
According to official performance data, Ethiopia officially commenced trading under the AfCFTA framework in October 2025. Since then, the country has successfully exported approximately 6.145 million kilograms of various commodities to a diverse range of African nations, signaling a robust start to the implementation of the historic agreement.
The Ministry highlighted that Ethiopia’s trade footprint has expanded significantly across the continent. Under the preferential trade terms, Ethiopia has exported goods to South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, Algeria, and Nigeria. Conversely, the nation has bolstered its industrial and consumer supply chains by importing essential products from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Egypt, and Tanzania.
The primary exports driving this revenue growth include oilseeds, pulses, and flour, among other agricultural value-added products. The Ministry noted that an increasing number of Ethiopian exporters and private sector actors are now actively participating in the AfCFTA legal framework, lured by the reduction of tariff barriers and simplified customs procedures.
Beyond immediate financial gains, the Ministry emphasized that the AfCFTA is serving as a strategic “bridge” for Ethiopia’s long-standing journey toward joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). By aligning its domestic trade laws and customs operations with AfCFTA protocols, Ethiopia is effectively undergoing a massive “standardization and harmonization” process.
“The steps we are taking to modernize our customs systems and harmonize our trade laws with African standards are directly linked to WTO principles,” the Ministry stated. This alignment is expected to accelerate the technical negotiations for WTO accession by demonstrating Ethiopia’s readiness to operate within a rules-based international trading system.
To ensure the sustainability of this momentum, a high-level steering committee led by MoTRI is currently overseeing the process. This committee integrates key institutions including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Revenues, the Customs Commission, the National Bank of Ethiopia, and the Ethiopia Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations.
The committee is tasked not only with facilitating logistics but also with resolving bottlenecks related to “Rules of Origin” certificates, which allow goods to enter member states duty-free.
