Preparations are underway to integrate opal and other mineral products into the trading platform of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), expanding its activities beyond agricultural commodities.

The ECX currently facilitates the trading of a range of agricultural products, including coffee, sesame, pulses, oilseeds, and spices, following its initial focus on maize and wheat. Recent legal and policy changes have broadened the Exchange’s mandate to include non-agricultural commodities, particularly industrial and mineral products.

Within this framework, work has been carried out to introduce opal into the formal trading system. A trading arrangement has also been developed to accommodate other mineral products, subject to the completion of outstanding administrative procedures.

The planned introduction of mineral trading through the ECX is intended to support a more structured market environment and improve oversight of mineral trade. It is also expected to contribute to better price discovery and compliance with existing regulatory requirements once trading begins.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency