A Swedish business delegation led by Gunnar Oom, Swedish Secretary of Trade expressed its keen interest to promote trade relations between Ethiopia and Sweden.

The trade promotion  event took place between 15 and 17 May 2013 was organized by the Embassy of Sweden Addis Ababa, Business Sweden - The Swedish Trade & Invest Council and Responsify, a textile and leather manufacturer.

TESCO PLC, a British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer, is negotiating to import footwear from four Ethiopian leather factories, according to the Ethiopian Leather Industry Development Institute (LIDI).

Tikur Abay, Peacock, Anbessa and Ramsey are the four factories that the company is negotiating with to export their footwear products, LIDI Corporate Communication Director, Berhanu Serjebo, told Walta Information Center.

Ethiopia has earned USD 89.75 million in revenue from leather export during the current Ethiopian Fiscal Year, according to Leather Industry Development Institute (LIDI).

LIDI Corporate Communication Director, Berhanu Serjebo, told WIC that about USD 74.65 million of the total from the total revenue was secured from finished leather products.

Ethiopia earned over 2.2 billion USD from export of different products during the last nine months, the Ministry of Trade said. Public relation and communication affairs office head with the Ministry, Amakele Yimam told Ethiopian News Agency that the amount was secured from export of 9.63 million tons of different products to 126 countries. Amakele said the amount exceeded by 59.83 million USD that of same period last year.

The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) is to sell full membership seats for farmers cooperatives. Earlier this year, the exchange has announced that it will provide 30 full membership seats for farmer cooperatives to facilitate their direct involvement in the exchange.

The sell will double farmers cooperative's membership in the exchange. Currently, the majority of full membership seats are controlled by private companies.