• Ethiopia aims to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) by March 2026, aligning with the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

• Accession talks had been paused since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ethiopia aims to finalize its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) by March 2026, coinciding with the organization's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) scheduled to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

At a high-level meeting held at WTO headquarters on March 19, Ethiopian Minister of Trade Kassahun Gofe Balami (photo) reaffirmed his country's commitment to relaunching negotiations to join the WTO, despite a global environment characterized by "protectionism and the increased scepticism to multilateral frameworks."

"We firmly believe that trade relationships that are rules-based, transparent, and predictable are the only sure way to promote sustainable economic development, peace, and stability around the world," the minister stated. He also emphasized that "With its fastgrowing economy and historical role as a key player in the continent, Ethiopia’s accession to the WTO will be a significant achievement for us, for Africa, and indeed for the WTO itself."

The last round of negotiations on Ethiopia’s accession—as the second most populous country in Africa and one of the continent’s economic powerhouses—took place in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent impact compelled authorities to reassess their priorities. Five years later, Addis Ababa reports that it has implemented several reforms aimed at liberalizing its economy and aligning with the organization’s rules.

As part of its Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda, Ethiopia has undertaken significant reforms to align its regulatory framework with WTO standards, strengthen economic resilience, and support private sector growth. These measures include liberalizing the foreign exchange market, establishing a stock exchange, and setting up an investment holding company to ensure more transparent management of state-owned enterprises. According to Kassahun Gofe, the country is also committed to applying maximum tariffs below the reference thresholds for least developed countries (LDCs) in the agricultural sector, and to opening up key sectors such as finance, communications, and transport. Already engaged in negotiations with 12 WTO members, the government has reiterated its determination to move forward with the talks to complete the accession process.

The Comoros recently became the latest African nation to join the WTO, following 17 years of negotiations. To assist Ethiopia in achieving its goal by next year, WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang urged the country and member states to intensify discussions on market access, based on Addis Ababa’s revised offers, to expedite the reaching of agreements.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou