The Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration identified contraband and illegal trade as major bottlenecks for the export trade. The Ministry stated that it would target and work on addressing problems that would hamper the growth of the country’s export performance.

According to the Ministry, both legally recognized and illegal traders participate in unlawful trade activities. The Ministry’s Export Trade Executive Director, Gemechis Melaku, underscored that strict control mechanisms and legal enforcement measures on illegal traders around border areas would positively affect the country’s export performance during the 2022/2023 fiscal year. 

The Ministry believes that illegal trade is a serious concern and efforts to control it require the engagement of all stakeholders including Regional Governments. Collective actions taken against illegal traders in border areas by the Ministry, Regional States, and concerned Government organs such as Customs Commission and Federal Police in the 2021/2022 fiscal year significantly contributed to the country’s export performance of the same period. 

Ethiopia earned USD 4.12 billion from export during the last fiscal year which showed a USD 500 million increase when compared to the 2020/2021 fiscal year. The country plans to gain USD 5.4 billion at the end of the 2022/2023 fiscal year. 

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Additional source: Capital Ethiopia