Ethiopia Moves to Simplify AfCFTA Export Procedures for Local Businesses

Ethiopia is preparing a step-by-step trading guide and digital information portal aimed at helping businesses navigate the procedures required to sell goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area, as the government seeks to expand access to African markets.

A workshop on the two tools is being held in Addis Ababa, bringing together government and private-sector representatives to examine requirements covering rules of origin, customs procedures, documentation, export licences and certification.

The guide is designed to provide businesses with practical information on the sequence of steps required to trade goods under the AfCFTA, including how products qualify for preferential treatment through rules of origin. The World Customs Organization has separately developed a private-sector guide to the AfCFTA rules of origin, which determine whether goods qualify for preferential treatment under the agreement.