The Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise (ECAE) and the Swiss Social & General Services (SGS) completed negotiation that took over a year for evaluation of the quality and security of products, according to national and international standards.

The agreement will enable Swiss Social & General Services to inspect the conformity of imported good bound to Ethiopia at the country of Origin, while the Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise will inspect exports from Ethiopia.

The two parties started negotiations back in 2011 after the establishment of the Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise following the restructuring of the now defunct Quality & Standards Authority of Ethiopia (QSAE) which is divided into four separate entities.

According to Albert Stokell, managing director of the SGS the agreement will help to build the reputation and recognition  of the ECAE among international clients.

The agreement is also expected help to improve the Ethiopian economy, it's international trade and competitiveness, by ensuring compliance with international standards and  building consumer confidence.

The agreement is said to boost ECAE’s confined business scope and resources. Currently,  ECAE provides independent third-party inspection services for a wide range of items, including; metal, cement, plastics, textiles, leather and agricultural products according to global industry standards.

Swiss Social & General Services (SGS) was founded in 1879 to provide inspection, verification, testing and certification services. The company employs 75,000 people in 1,500 offices and laboratories across 140 countries. With its headquarter in Addis Ababa and eight regional branches outside the capital, the ECAE will be the contact point for SGS in Ethiopia.