By Shire Abdi - Reporter
Ethiopia, 12 January 2026 Ethiopia has launched a dedicated "Japan Desk" within its investment commission to streamline entry for Tokyo-based firms, officials said on Monday, as Japan sent its largest business delegation to the country in years to capitalize on recent market liberalizations.
The announcement came during high-level talks between Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos and Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ayano Kunimitsu, who is leading a mission of 48 business representatives from more than 35 Japanese companies.
The new unit, housed within the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), is designed to act as a "one-stop shop" for Japanese investors, coordinating licensing, taxation, and foreign exchange approvals. It marks a significant effort by Addis Ababa to convert decades of diplomatic goodwill into tangible industrial investment.
"Relations between our two countries have continued to strengthen, particularly in trade and investment," Gedion told the delegation, according to a statement. He emphasized the "favourable opportunities" created by ongoing macroeconomic reforms, including the July 2024 decision to float the birr currency.
The visit comes as Japan seeks to diversify its footprint in Africa, where it has historically played a secondary role to China’s infrastructure-heavy influence. Tokyo is now positioning itself as a provider of "quality growth" and technological expertise, specifically targeting Ethiopia’s newly liberalized telecommunications, logistics, and manufacturing sectors.
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State Minister Kunimitsu, whose visit is part of a follow-up to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to "deepening collaboration" in trade and investment.
Ethiopia, a market of 120 million people, is currently navigating a high-stakes transition toward private-sector-led growth. While the government recently reported record foreign exchange inflows of $32.1 billion for the 2024/25 fiscal year, foreign firms continue to monitor the country’s stability and the implementation of its debt restructuring plans.
The mission aims to rebalance a trade relationship that remains narrow. In 2023, Ethiopia’s exports to Japan were valued at approximately $104 million—with coffee accounting for nearly 90 per cent of that total—while imports from Japan reached $382 million, dominated by machinery and vehicles.
The delegation is scheduled to participate in the Ethiopia–Japan Business Forum on Tuesday, where several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) regarding technology transfer and agricultural processing are expected to be discussed.
