Ethiopia: Addis Ababa approves a guide and digital portal to bridge the AfCFTA information gap

The Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) and the Ethiopian Chamber of Sectoral Associations (ECCSA) approved, on September 15 and 16, 2026 in Addis Ababa, a practical guide and digital portal designed for exporting companies under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the two tools - the « Step-by-Step Guide for Trading in Goods under the AfCFTA » and a trade information portal - detail the rules of origin, customs documents, licenses, and certifications required for export. The validation workshop, organized by MoTRI and ECCSA with the support of UNECA and Expertise France, was funded by the governments of Canada and Japan. « We want to move from awareness to action, and from capacity building to effective trade, » said Jean-Baptiste Petigny, Expertise France Country Director in Ethiopia. For Kenenisa Debela, Secretary General of ECCSA, these tools must be « practical tools that help a trader go from understanding the export process to actually completing a transaction. » Melaku Desta, Acting Director of UNECA's Regional Integration and Trade Division, emphasized that they will prevent the Ethiopian private sector from being excluded from AfCFTA opportunities due to a lack of information. Minister Kassahun Gofe described the validation as a « historic milestone » for cooperation between public institutions and the private sector.