Ethiopia, 11 October 2025 – This week, Ethiopia achieved a significant economic milestone by officially launching its first shipment of goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
Established by the African Union in 2018, AfCFTA aims to create the world’s largest free trade area by connecting all 55 African countries. The agreement seeks to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers, boost intra-African trade, and drive economic transformation, industrialization, and job creation across the continent.
Ethiopia’s inaugural shipment—comprising meat, fruits, and various agricultural products was dispatched on Thursday to Somalia, Kenya, and South Africa via both land and air transport. This move positions Ethiopia to fully leverage the vast, unified continental market created by the agreement.
Speaking at the symbolic shipment ceremony, Trade and Regional Integration Minister Kassahun Goffe described the launch as the start of the East African nation’s full integration into regional trade flows and expressed optimism that participation would significantly expand the country’s export base.
He hailed the occasion as a “major milestone in Ethiopia's trade journey” under the AfCFTA framework. He also lauded the agreement as one of the most ambitious trade initiatives in the world.
AfCFTA seeks to establish a single continental market for goods and services, facilitating the free movement of businesspeople and investments across Africa. According to Minister Kassahun, the agreement unites 55 African Union member states, representing over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding USD 3.4 trillion.
As Africa's second most populous country and a strategic gateway to the Horn of Africa, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration believes Ethiopia stands to gain significantly from AfCFTA.
Minister Kassahun also emphasized that AfCFTA is “more than a trade agreement; it is a cornerstone of Africa’s Agenda 2063”—the African Union’s long-term vision for a prosperous, integrated, and peaceful continent.
The shipment ceremony was attended by senior government officials, ambassadors, exporters, and representatives from the AfCFTA Secretariat, including Secretary-General Wamkele Mene.
The AfCFTA is expected to significantly boost intra-African trade, enhance industrial competitiveness, and promote inclusive economic development and industrialization across the continent. Currently, 54 out of the 55 African countries have signed the agreement, with 48 of them having ratified it. The agreement was initially signed by 44 countries in 2018. Eritrea is the only country that has not signed.