Nov 8 , 2025
The Minister of Trade & Regional Integration, Kassahun Gofe (PhD), confirmed that Ethiopia is intensifying efforts to finalise its World Trade Organization (WTO) accession by March 2026. Critical tasks are being executed at the highest level of commitment. The announcement followed a meeting with Ambassador Rebecca Fisher Lamb, Chair of the Ethiopia WTO Accession Working Party, where both sides reviewed progress on multilateral and bilateral market access negotiations. Kassahun stated, "We are undertaking all necessary preparations to complete WTO accession in the coming March, executing decisive actions to meet this timeline." Ambassador Fisher Lamb noted detailed updates were exchanged and pledged to coordinate with Working Party member states to address bottlenecks. The discussions highlight Ethiopia’s renewed momentum toward full WTO membership, a goal pursued for nearly two decades, as the country aims for deeper integration into the global trading system.