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Ethiopia: Country Performing Better under AGOA

Published date:
Tuesday, 27 March 2007

Ethiopia's performance in using the AGOA trade opportunities has continued in a growing trend over the last six years and there are indications that the country will even show better growth in the years ahead, USAID said.

USAID Mission Director to Ethiopia Glen Anders told WIC recently that though Ethiopia had very low performance in using the opportunity at the beginning, its performance in recent years has been excellent, and added that he expects to see a continued growth.

He recalled that Ethiopia had a very good booth at the recent Magic Apparel Show in Las Vegas, which converges twice a year for one of the most influential business events in the fashion industry, and noted that this indicates a good start in the manufacturing and export of textile to the US.

According to the Mission Director, many new textile factories are being established in the country to take advantage of the opportunity that opens a window to benefit from-tax and quota free export of textile and apparel to the US market.

The period in which eligible countries can benefit from AGOA has been extended, Anders said, adding that the extension is made with less strict rules and is likely to encourage more Ethiopians to export more garment to the US.

Ethiopia has qualified to be among the 38 AGOA eligible countries since 2001 for the export of textile and apparel and its export to the US market through AGOA was only 0.2 million in 2001,which is the first full year operation for AGOA, and has grown to 1.3 million USD in 2002, according to data obtained from AGOA. info website.

The data also shows that Ethiopia has exported apparel and textile valued at 5.2 million birr in 2005 and 7.2 million in 2006.

Despite the progress it showed throughout the years, Ethiopia still ranks among the countries with the lowest level to benefit from the opportunity.

Meanwhile, Anders indicated USAID has also been working with many export associations to enable them expand their exports through improving the quality of their production and through exploring better markets.

The Director further underscored that Ethiopia has to continue to prove certification of its coffee so as to enable farmers gain better price for their produces.

He elaborated that the Agency has been helping the coffee industry through an internationally recognized US coffee quality institute which is one of the best institutes for setting standards of quality of coffee.

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According to Anders, the Agency is also supporting activities in the hides and skin industry to try to improve the quality of actual slaying of the animal through to the processing so that Ethiopian leather can receive the price it deserves.

The Mission Director further noted that on top of helping improve the export in the agricultural sector USAID, in collaboration with a famous US dairy cooperative called Land O Lakes, has been supporting farmers to improve the quality and quantity of dairy production, in which he said he has seen remarkable growth.

In a bid to help pastoralists improve their livestock, the Agency is providing assistance for small herders to improve the quality of their herds and manage their rangelands.



“ Latest AGOA Trade Data currently available on AGOA.info


Click here to view a sector profile of Ethiopia’s bilateral trade with the United States, disaggregated by total exports and imports, AGOA exports and GSP exports.


Other regularly updated trade statistics on AGOA.info include: (click each link to view)

  • AGOA-Beneficiary Countries’ AGOA and GSP Trade Aggregates

  • AGOA Trade by Industry Sector

  • Apparel Trade under AGOA’s Wearing Apparel Provisions

  • Latest Apparel Quotas under AGOA

  • Bilateral Trade Data for all AGOA-eligible countries individually.

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