Addis Ababa — Ethiopia will this week begin trading goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), marking a major step in the country’s effort to pivot from domestic market dependence toward regional export growth.
The Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration said the first shipment — meat, fruits, vegetables, coffee, pulses, and oilseeds — will be transported by Ethiopian Airlines cargo and land routes to Kenya, Somalia, and South Africa starting Thursday, September 29. The move follows years of negotiation and tariff alignment under the AfCFTA framework.
Symbolic Start to a Continental Ambition
The launch positions Ethiopia among a handful of African nations to operationalize AfCFTA commitments through actual trade flows rather than policy pledges. The agreement, which came into force in 2019, aims to remove tariffs on 90% of goods, harmonize customs procedures, and create the world’s largest free-trade zone by population — spanning 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion.
For Ethiopia, whose exports remain heavily reliant on coffee and agricultural commodities, the AfCFTA represents a chance to expand markets beyond the Horn of Africa and reduce dependence on Middle Eastern and European buyers.
No Comment Found.