• GDP: US$25.08 billion (2008).
• Main exports: Coffee, qat, gold, leather products and oilseeds.
• Main imports: Food, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and textiles.
• Main trade partners: Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, USA, China and Italy.

Ethiopia is one of the world's least developed countries, with low incomes, minimal infrastructure and a serious shortage of skilled labour. Economic development has also been hampered by war. The economy is largely dependent on subsistence agriculture, which employs almost 85% of the workforce, and accounts for half the country's GDP.

Growth has been seriously affected by the fall in agriculture production due to the droughts in 2002 and 2003. However, sound macroeconomic policies and HIPC (Heavily Indebted Poor Country) debt relief, coupled with improved rains and harvest in 2004 helped agricultural production and economic growth. Coffee is the main export earner, and the collapse of world coffee prices hit Ethiopia hard.

Not surprisingly, Ethiopia relies on substantial quantities of food aid. The manufacturing and service sectors are both small. However, there is a bright prospect in the form of a large natural gas field, which promises substantial future revenues.

Businesspeople should wear suits and ties for business visits. English is widely used for trade purposes but Italian and French are also useful. Nonetheless, knowledge of a few words of Amharic will be appreciated. Some of the more useful are Tena Yistillign – ‘Hello’; Ow – ‘Yes’; Aydellem – ‘No’; and Sintinew – ‘How much is this?’. Normal courtesies should be observed and business cards can be used. Best months for business visits are October to May.

Office hours: Mon-Thurs 0830-1230 and 1330-1730; Fri 0830-1130 and 1330-1730.

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
PO Box 255, Unity Square, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (11) 551 5004.
Website: www.combanketh.com

Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 2458, Mexico Square, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (11) 551 5055.
Website: www.addischamber.com

Ethiopian Trade Promotions Section in the UK
17 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PZ, UK
Tel: (020) 7838 3870.
Website: www.ethioembassy.org.uk

United Nations Conference Centre (Information on Conferences/Conventions)
PO Box 3001, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (11) 551 4874 or 4945.
Website: www.un.org