EXPORT

Ethiopian Export Products

At present, domestic economic liberalization is progressing step by step, and the government’s efforts to create an environment conducive to privatization are contributing greatly to the expansion of exports. Besides the basic policy of continuously improving the free market, Ethiopia has many advantages in which the export sector can develop. These include an abundant and capable labour force, low wages, a varied climate and soil, and relatively easy access to the EU and Middle East markets. Ethiopia also exports to the Common Market of South-eastern Nations (COMESA) on the African continent, which has a total population of 260 million.

Current major export commodities include coffee, livestock products (tanned skins, leather, livestock and meat), oilseeds, legumes, fruits, vegetables, flowers, fibbers, natural gums, spices, and underground minerals. In addition to aiming to improve the supply volume and quality of these export products, we are also encouraging investment in high value-added products that have not been handled so far. Exploring resources requires significant capital investment, but in order to encourage foreign investment (including joint ventures and market adjustments), the export sector offers many incentives and economic development. plays an important role towards Trade relations between Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia are deepening year by year. Ethiopia’s exports to Saudi Arabia include coffee, Sheep and Goat meet, spices, and  oil seeds.

coffee

No. 1 in Africa and No. 3 in the world Coffee is Ethiopia’s largest industry and produces the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world. Ethiopia is the largest producer of coffee Arabica on the African continent and the third largest producer in the world. Coffee is also Ethiopia’s main export, accounting for more than half of its total export value. It is also the largest cash crop for farmers. A lot of coffee has been exported from Ethiopia to Saudi-Arabia for many years, and it has been popular.

The birthplace of coffee the etymology of “coffee” comes from the area called “Kaffa” in Ethiopia. Discovered in Ethiopia, coffee first spread to neighbouring countries and the Middle East, and from there spread to the rest of the world.

Optimal environment for coffee Ethiopia’s ecological environment is ideal for growing a variety of Arabica varieties. From the semi-savanna climate at 500 meters above sea level to the humid highland forest area at 2200 meters above sea level, the climate is optimal for coffee cultivation. Although mainly produced in the southwest, highland coffee cultivation occurs at altitudes between 1500 and 2100 meters. He has ideal soils with a pH of 4.5 to 6.5 and a well-balanced rainfall of 1500-2500mm.

High-Quality Ethiopian Organic Coffee Ethiopia has the world’s largest collection of coffee genetic resources, with more than 6,000 coffee species discovered. Most of our coffee is organically grown and more than 60% of our production is forest or semi-forest coffee. The soil of these forests is rich in natural fertilizers such as fallen leaves, creating an ecosystem that naturally maintains a balance with pests and parasites without the need for chemical fertilizers. Halal, jelgacheffe and sidamo are traded at very high premiums.

Below are the varieties of Ethiopian coffee that are unique in the world.

halal coffee

One of the finest premium coffees in the world. Cultivated in the highlands of eastern Ethiopia. The beans are medium in size and yellow-green in colour. The taste is characterized by moderate acidity, rich body, and unique mocha flavour.

Wolega (Nekhemti) Coffee

Produced in western Ethiopia, the beans are medium to large in size and known for their fruity taste. A “greenish” or “brownish” bean with just the right amount of acidity and body. Many roasters find this flavour useful as a blender, but it is also sold as a stand-alone flavour for gourmet coffees and special originals.

Rim coffee

Known for its spicy, vinous flavours, it attracts many roasters, especially in Europe and America. With just the right amount of acidity and richness, Washed Rim is one of the premium coffees. The beans are medium in size, mostly round and have a greenish colour.

Sidamo coffee

Used as a blender for gourmet and specialty coffees. The beans are medium grade and have a greenish colour. Sidamo Washed Coffee is known for its balanced taste and flavour. Sidamo Coffee, which has moderate acidity and deep richness, is grown in the southern region.

Yirgacheffe coffee

With a distinct flavour called Flora, Washed Jelgacheffe is the finest highland coffee. With just the right amount of sourness and deep richness, its delicate and sophisticated flavour attracts many roasters and is very popular.

In addition to these, we also have “Tepi” and “Bebeka”, which are known for their mild acidity but deep richness, as well as many types that are used as special blends.

 Ethiopian Agricultural Exchange

Currently, most of Ethiopian coffee is traded under strict quality control at the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, a modern agricultural exchange. 

Cut flower industry (roses, etc.)

Ethiopia has the best location and climatic conditions for growing roses, cut flowers and horticulture. This industry has just started around 1998, but now it is Ethiopia’s main export industry and the second largest flower production in Africa.

Many beautiful roses and other cut flowers are exported to Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia.

Foreign companies from Europe and the Middle East also grow cut flowers and horticulture on Ethiopia’s vast tracts of land.

Ethiopia is especially suitable for growing roses. Roses are carefully produced in a greenhouse where temperature control is computerized, and many Ethiopian roses are exported to Japan. .

Hides and leather industry

Ethiopia ranks 10th in the world and 1st in Africa in terms of livestock stocks. Among them, the leather of sheep living in the highlands of Ethiopia is world-famous as a material for gloves, and its quality and characteristics are widely known.

In recent years, the final processing technology of leather has improved, and not only the conventional wet blue, but also tanned leather as a final processed product is exported.

Leather products, including famous brands such as gloves, gloves, shoes, bags, and clothing, are produced in domestic factories.

European and Asian companies have established leather product factories in Ethiopia, and exports are becoming more and more popular, taking advantage of the US’s AGOA and Japan’s preferential tariffs.

[Main leather products]

• Shoes or sandals
• Gloves or gloves
• Clothes such as jackets
• Bag
• Small items such as wallets
• Saddle, harness
• The leather after the final process

Oilseeds (such as sesame seeds)

Most of Ethiopia’s various oilseeds are grown organically and are known for their fragrance and nutritional value.

Ethiopia is the fourth largest sesame producing country in the world. In particular, white sesame from Ethiopia is used as a standard for determining grades in the global market.

[Main oil seeds (including those for the domestic market)]

Sesame (white sesame and oilseed sesame) Other Rapeseed, flaxseed, peanut, sunflower, niger seed, cottonseed, etc.

Natural Gum

Ethiopia’s unique climate has nurtured plants used in the construction industry and for medicine. Trees such as Acacia, Comephorid & Boswellia are valuable gum-producing plants in arid or semi-barren areas.

The desire to expand gum production has increased over the past few years as the consumption of low-maintenance foods grows. Most of this is due to demand from the additive (seasoning) industry, but at the same time, the growing health consciousness is spurring the increase in the concentration processing of natural materials.

Gum products for export include gum olibanum from Boswellia, gum myrrh and opoponex from Commiphora, and gum Arabic from sources such as acacia.

In addition to medicinal use, it is widely used in the manufacturing industry for beverages, candy and gum, confectionery, daily necessities, gelatin, nuts, puddings, and canned vegetables. as a typical application

• sticky coagulant
• Thickeners, stabilizers, flavours, food colouring fixatives and emulsifiers,
• Beverage Purification
• Release of rubber products
• cosmetic material

Textile fibber and clothing

The textile industry is the largest manufacturing industry in Ethiopia. . It has 14 nationally and privately owned textile and garment factories. It employs about 30,000 people and maintains a 36% share of the total manufacturing industry.

Fibber types include cotton, nylon, acrylic, wool and cotton blankets, and sewing threads.

The domestic production potential of cotton fabric, which is used as the main material of clothing, far exceeds the current spinning performance. And cheap labour can be considered as a very high potential area to promote export development.

The production of cotton fabrics and yarns; cotton yarns/ bleached or grey/ carded or fuzzed/ with 81/2, 10, 21, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 respectively; However, it can be changed upon request.

100% polyester or cotton yarns are available in different colours and quantities.

• 100% cotton, 40/3, 50/3, 60/3
• 100% polyester, 60/3,
• 5,000m or 1,000m roll
• 5,000m or 10,000m cones for industry

Black tea

The quality of tea depends on weather conditions, soil properties and processing methods. Ethiopian tea is grown in fertile highlands with dense trees and very little fertilizer.

In addition, an abundant and cheap labour force has made it possible for weeding by farmers to replace chemical weeding. In this way, almost everything is organically grown, and its rich natural aroma is gradually gaining attention. This fact can be seen in the fact that one of the Ethiopian tea exporters, “Tea Production and Marketing Enterprise”, was awarded the “International Gold Star” by BDI in Madrid, Spain.

Underground resource minerals

Research conducted to date reports that many parts of the country have abundant resources that meet export standards. Although the actual excavation scale is still small compared to the great potential, underground resource materials supplied to the export market include gold, platinum, marble, granite and tantalum. Reserves of other metallic or non-metallic minerals such as copper, lead, zinc, silver, gypsum, limestone, quartz and pyrite are recognized in many parts of the country.

Many of Ethiopia’s underground resource minerals can be exported relatively easily to countries in eastern and southern Africa, as well as in Asia and Oceania. This is because the existing import routes from Europe and North America to Ethiopia can be used to offer favourable and low-cost freight rates.

In addition, high-quality large stones, raw and processed marble, granite, limestone, etc. are used domestically and internationally.

Others

Other products exported from Ethiopia to the world market are:

• spices
• civet skin
• beverages
• beeswax
• cereals
• gallstones