Ethiopian companies export different varieties of goods to partner countries. These include: coffee, oilseeds, pulses, leather and leather products, textile and garment, meat and meat products, flowers, fruits and vegetables, live animals, gold etc… In return the country imports raw materials, fuel, capital goods, and consumer goods.
Ethiopian exports in the order of their current share are destined to Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Oceania while its main imports are originate from Asia, Europe, Africa, America and Oceania.
Contacts for trade can be established through the Ethiopian Chambers of Commerce and Sectoral Associations and the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce. These Chambers can also connect you to regional chambers of commerce. Their websites www.ethiopianchamber.com and www.addischamber.com provide you with resourceful information on sectoral associations, members, exhibition venues and dates, important contacts and business links.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is the major information source for trade and industry related data in the country. Issues related to agricultural marketing can be obtained from the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Website www.moard.gov.et. This website provides access to food and industrial crop market, livestock market, forest product market, fruits and vegetables, and cooperatives.
Certain products of export to Ethiopia have to fulfill the criteria of Ethiopian Quality and Standards Authority. Companies interested in Ethiopian Qualities and Standards should consult www.qsae.org. The website provides full information on Ethiopian standards, inspection and certification, Metrology, Testing, and technical information.
In order to access the country’s customs legislation, requirements, import and export procedures, and valuation rules and tariff rates the website of the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority www.erca.gov.et is an excellent source to be consulted.
Import and export trade is impossible without transportation. To that effect, the Ethiopian Shipping lines and the Ethiopian Airlines provide transport services at competitive fares.
Ethiopian Shipping Lines S.C. is the only company involved in sea freight activity in the country. The company, through its long history of sea transportation service has built a reputation of reliability, efficiency and good service. It provides liner services through the North Continent and Mediterranean route, Far East route, Arabian Gulf route and Indian Sub Continent route. It also gives a Cross Trade service mostly from Europe to Red sea and Gulf ports. For full information on its profile, management, service routes, cargo lifting its weekly fleet position, and contact address: please consult www.ethiopianshippinglines.com.et
The Ethiopian Airlines Cargo also serves the international trade. Evere since the first cargo charter operation was launched to Nairobi in 1946 and the boom of agricultural export out of Ethiopia, especially to Europe, in the early 1970’s Ethiopian’s cargo services has been steadily growing. In addition to the utilization of the belly space of Ethiopian’s passenger fleet of B767-300 and B757-200 aircraft, Ethiopian cargo operates dedicated freighter aircraft on a charter and scheduled basis. Currently Ethiopian has over 40 cargo destinations spread across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East via its hub – Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian has accumulated over 55 years of experience in transporting goods ranging from industrial products to perishables. It has special seasonal cargo rates as well as attractive incentive packages aimed at satisfying our individual cargo customers’ needs.
In line with its vision to make Bole International (Addis Ababa) a cargo hub, a new cargo terminal is under construction at a total cost of ETB133.1 million. When the project is completed, the new modern terminal will have a capacity to handle 104,000 tons of cargo per annum.
So, whenever you have a need for fast and reliable cargo transportation, simply call Ethiopian, which truly makes cargo ‘easy come, easy go’. Visit www.ethiopianairlines.com/cargo
The trade chain is incomplete without maritime and transit and clearing companies. Their activities include: transportation: shipping agencies; stevedoring and shore handling; forwarding; customs clearing; trucking; equipment hire; air cargo agency and consolidation operations; travel and tourist agency services. One of the companies that can be contacted is the Ethiopian Maritime and Transit Services Enterprise (MTSE) www.telecom.net.et/~mtse which has more than 35 years of experience. There are many companies as MTSE, which are organized under the Ethiopian Customs Clearing Agents to clear goods from customs. According to the Ethiopian Customs Authority; the customs clearance of commercial goods shall be done by a clearing agent trained and certified by the Ethiopian Customs Authority (ECuA) and licensed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Ethiopian Companies which would like to know the market opportunities in Europe can consult the website of the Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries to Europe (the CBI) www.cbi.nl
The CBI offers services like; market information, company database, export coaching, training, business support organizations training, In the market information, you can download market surveys of 26 sub-sectors in agriculture, fishery and forestry; consumer products; and industrial products for all countries in the EU. The market surveys provide detailed information on demand and supply of a product, market structure, prices, major buyers, food safety, quality and standards requirements, exhibitions, and contacts. In order to benefit from the services of the CBI, you have to be registered through the website and get your login name and password.
The Ethiopian Embassy to the BENELUX and the Mission to the EU promotes Ethiopian trade in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg by providing information to companies, liaison and facilitating business transactions between companies, and by helping resolve disputes. All companies that are interested in trade and customs tariff information can consult the Trade, Investment and Tourism Section (Business Section) of the Embassy.
