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This report summarizes the list of major export certificates, documentations, and other regulatory requirements to export food and agricultural products to Ethiopia. The report is organized using information obtained from publicly available sources published online as well as from industry contacts.

This report discusses regulatory requirements and standards that must be fulfilled to export food and agricultural products to Ethiopia. Pertinent information on applicable laws, regulations, directives, guidelines, procedures, and key regulatory contact details included.

Ethiopia’s Ten-Year Development Plan (2021-2030) identifies sustained and quality agriculture programs to accelerate economic progress and ensure national food security as its national strategy. The development of small and large-scale irrigation infrastructure in the Ethiopian lowlands has recently been given increasing due attention by the GOE - among other contributing factors like improved seed, fertilizer supply, and use of mechanization on the clustered wheat farms.

From September 6-8, 2022, the Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Hong Kong hosted the strongest national pavilion at Restaurant and Bar, one of the largest food trade shows in Hong Kong. Seven U.S. exhibitors showcased their quality products to over 8,000 trade visitors.

The forex shortage in the country is becoming critical and the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) has banned 38 different products which are considered luxury items which include packaged food, household items, furniture, beauty products and automobiles, and different type of liquor imports in a circular order written by the Ministry of Finance to the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) on October 14, 2022.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, travel and dining restrictions decimated tourism to the city and negatively impacted the hospitality sector. Hong Kong’s restaurant receipts dropped from $14.4 billion in 2019 to $11.9 billion in 2021.

Following the success of our virtual seminar at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in March 2022, ATO Hong Kong partnered again with the University to co-host an educational cooking demonstration and lecture on July 18, 2022. The class highlighted versatile, sustainable, and delicious USA foods through the culinary presentations of two dynamic chefs.