Ethiopia Cargo Volume Hits 17.5M Tons as Djibouti Handles Bulk of Trade
Ethiopia transported over 17.5 million tons of cargo in the 2025/26 fiscal year, with the Port of Djibouti serving as the primary gateway for nearly 97% of trade. Road transport remains the dominant logistics method, though the Ethio-Djibouti Railway plays a critical role in moving key commodities.
Why it matters
The data underscores Ethiopia's heavy reliance on Djibouti for maritime trade and the ongoing efforts to manage logistics infrastructure for economic growth.
(NAIROBI, Kenya) — Ethiopia transported over 17.57 million metric tons of import and export cargo during the 2025/26 fiscal year, with the Port of Djibouti handling nearly 97% of the country’s trade, according to data from the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.
Dhenge Boru, State Minister of Transport and Logistics, stated on his official X page that the country moved a total of 17,572,916.69 metric tons of cargo during the fiscal year. Imports accounted for 15,929,887.98 metric tons, while exports reached 1,643,028.71 metric tons.
The Port of Djibouti handled 15.34 million metric tons, representing 96.71% of all cargo passing through maritime routes serving Ethiopia. Somaliland’s Berbera port accounted for 2.74%, followed by Djibouti’s Tadjoura port with 1.23%, while the Mombasa-Moyale corridor handled 0.56%.
The figures show that Djibouti remains Ethiopia’s primary gateway for international trade, despite ongoing efforts to diversify and develop alternative transport corridors.
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