Ethiopia moves to close the AfCFTA information gap with new trader guide and digital portal

Ethiopian businesses will soon have a clear, practical roadmap for trading goods across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Government, private sector and development partners have validated a new Step-by-Step Guide for Trading in Goods under the AfCFTA and a companion Trade Information Portal.

The two tools address one of the biggest barriers to intra-African trade: traders often lack clear, reliable information on what it takes to export. The Guide explains rules of origin, customs documentation, licenses and certifications step by step. The Portal is a digital platform where that information can be found and kept up to date.

“We want to see a shift from awareness to action, and from capacity building to actual trade,” said Jean-Baptiste Petigny, Country Director of Expertise France in Ethiopia.

The tools were reviewed and validated at a two-day workshop on 15–16 September in Addis Ababa. It was convened by the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) and the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA), with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Expertise France. The Governments of Canada and Japan provided financial support.