Xifres de comerç exterior d'Etiòpia

Foreign Trade in Figures

Ethiopia's trade openness is not fully realized, with a foreign trade-to-GDP ratio of 21% (World Bank, latest data available). It is a member of the IGAD and the COMESA but has not yet joined the free trade zone. Ethiopia has long been in the process of joining the WTO, and as part of this effort, the government is restructuring customs tariffs to rationalize investment opportunities, including introducing lower duties on raw materials and semi-finished products. Additionally, Ethiopia signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and established special economic zones offering tax incentives and customs duties exemptions to investors. The country's primary export is coffee, which accounted for 42.9% of the total in 2023, followed by other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits (9.0%), dried leguminous vegetables (9.0%), cut flowers and flower buds (8.1%), and other vegetables, fresh or chilled (6.5%). Major imports consist of petroleum oils (14.2%), mineral or chemical fertilisers (4.1%), motor cars and vehicles (3.4%), nitrogenous fertilisers (2.9%), palm oil and its fractions (2.9% - data Comtrade).

According to Comtrade data for 2023, Ethiopia's main export destinations were Saudi Arabia (10.4%), the United States (9.7%), the Netherlands (7.6%), the United Arab Emirates (5.7%), Somalia (5.0%), India (4.9%), and Germany (4.7%); while imports primarily originated from China (32.7%), India (9.6%), Kuwait (7.8%), Saudi Arabia (6.6%), the United States (6.3%), and Morocco (4%). In 2023, Ethiopia’s total trade with the EU reached EUR 2.2 billion, making it its second-largest trading partner after China with a 13.1% share.

Ethiopia's trade balance remains structurally in deficit, a trend driven by the country's investment-led economy, which incentivizes imports. Weather phenomena also influence the trade balance, sometimes necessitating grain imports during droughts despite Ethiopia's status as a significant agricultural producer. In 2023, goods imports totalled USD 17.8 billion, while exports reached USD 3.6 billion (with a decrease of 4.1% and 8.9% year-on-year, respectively - data WTO). Additionally, Ethiopia is also a net importer of services. In the same year, the country's trade balance was negative by 7.4% of GDP, up from 10.1% the previous year, according to the World Bank. Preliminary figures from the government show that in the first half of the fiscal year (July-December 2024), Ethiopia's export earnings totalled USD 3.2 billion, with coffee contributing significantly, generating USD 908 million from 204,000 tons of exports.