Brazil Opens ApexBrasil Office in Addis to Elevate Trade, Investment Ties with Ethiopia 

Brazil has opened a permanent office of its Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) in Addis Ababa, aiming to strengthen economic, trade and investment ties with Ethiopia and expand its business engagement across the African market.

The inauguration of the office brought together senior Ethiopian and Brazilian government officials, business community representatives, diplomats.

 Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, Zeleke Temesgen, said the establishment of the ApexBrasil permanent office in Addis Ababa marks the beginning of a tangible strategic alignment between Ethiopia and Brazil.

 

 He said the office will play a significant role in removing information barriers for investors, providing market intelligence and strengthening business-to-business connections between the two countries.

 According to the Commissioner, the office will also create opportunities to combine Brazil’s technology-driven agricultural expertise with Ethiopia’s vast agricultural potential, particularly in coffee, improved seeds, livestock and modern agribusiness.

 He reaffirmed the Ethiopian Investment Commission’s commitment to providing the necessary support to Brazilian companies seeking to enter and invest in the Ethiopian market.

On his part, Brazilian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Jandyr Ferreira dos Santos, said the opening of the permanent ApexBrasil office represents a new chapter in the economic relationship between the two countries.

 

 “Much more than an opening of a new office, today we are opening a new chapter” in the relationship between Brazil and Ethiopia, the ambassador said.

 He said the establishment of the office reflects the progress achieved in bilateral relations and the two countries’ ambition to take their economic partnership to a higher level.

He said the new office will enable Brazilian companies to better understand the Ethiopian market, identify local partners, access market intelligence and develop concrete trade and investment opportunities.

 Ambassador Jandyr said Addis Ababa was a natural choice for the office given Ethiopia’s position as one of Africa’s largest markets and the city’s role as the diplomatic capital of the continent.

 He identified agriculture and agribusiness, aviation, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and renewable energy among the areas offering significant potential for cooperation.

The ambassador also highlighted the growing political and institutional relations between Ethiopia and Brazil.

 

 He noted that Ethiopia and Brazil’s shared membership in BRICS also provides an additional framework for strengthening economic cooperation, including trade, investment and joint industrialization projects.

 The permanent presence of ApexBrasil in Addis Ababa is expected to provide continuity to business engagement between the two countries, enabling potential opportunities to develop into concrete investments, partnerships and job-creating projects.

The office will also serve as a bridge between Brazilian and Ethiopian businesses and a platform for expanding Brazil’s economic engagement with Ethiopia, East Africa and the wider African continent.

Director General for Europe and the American at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Meles Alem, said the establishment of the ApexBrasil office marks a new era in the economic partnership between Ethiopia and Brazil.

 

 He said the office will serve as a platform to further enhance trade and investment ties, facilitate business partnerships and promote concrete engagement between Ethiopian and Brazilian businesses.

Ambassador Meles noted that Ethiopia and Brazil will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year, describing the longstanding relationship as one that has continued to develop across generations.

 He said Addis Ababa is a strategic location for the ApexBrasil office because of its role as the political and diplomatic hub of Africa and its position as a gateway to the continent’s business community.

The ambassador highlighted Ethiopia’s direct air connectivity with Brazil and its potential to serve as a gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area, providing Brazilian companies with access to the wider African market.

 The Ethiopian government, he said, will provide the necessary support for the effective and timely operationalization of the regional office.

President of ApexBrasil, Laudemir Müller, on his part said the opening of the office marks a new chapter in Brazil’s partnership with Africa, particularly with Ethiopia.

 

He said Africa has become a priority for Brazil because of its young population, agricultural potential, critical mineral resources and longstanding cultural ties with Brazil.

Müller said Ethiopia was selected for ApexBrasil’s first African office because of its economic growth, large population, BRICS membership and strategic position as a logistics hub connecting Africa and the Middle East.