Ethiopia Steps Up WTO Accession Drive, Seeks Breakthrough in Geneva Talks

Addis Ababa, November 10, 2026 (ENA)— Ethiopia has renewed its push to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), reaffirming its commitment to concluding long-running accession negotiations as it seeks deeper integration into the global trading system and expanded access to international markets.

Leading Ethiopia’s delegation at the Eighth WTO Working Party meeting in Geneva on November 9–10, Minister of Trade and Regional Integration and Chief Negotiator Yasmin Wahabrebbi, alongside State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hadera Abera and other senior officials, underscored WTO membership as a top national priority.

The renewed momentum follows the formation of a new government in October and comes as Ethiopia accelerates economic reforms to advance an accession process launched in 2003.

 

Addressing the meeting, Minister Yasmin highlighted the progress achieved in aligning the country's legal and regulatory frameworks with WTO requirements, including the review of more than 460 legal instruments, the submission of updated accession documents and the implementation of wide-ranging trade-related reforms.

She also reaffirmed Ethiopia's readiness to conclude bilateral market access negotiations, while calling on WTO members to adopt a flexible and development-sensitive approach that recognizes the country's economic circumstances and development priorities.

WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang and member states welcomed Ethiopia's reform progress, expressing support for bringing the country's market of more than 130 million people into the multilateral trading system.

The two-day meeting is expected to address outstanding multilateral issues, accelerate negotiations and establish a clearer pathway toward the conclusion of Ethiopia's accession process.

For Ethiopia, WTO membership represents more than entry into a global trade institution. It is a strategic step toward strengthening export competitiveness, attracting investment, expanding market opportunities and improving the country's participation in international trade.

 

It is also expected to reinforce Ethiopia's broader regional economic integration, including through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as the country pursues a more competitive and outward-oriented economy.

Minister Yasmin called on WTO members to match Ethiopia's political commitment and reform efforts with a pragmatic and constructive negotiating approach, stressing the importance of reaching a mutually beneficial outcome.

As negotiations enter a critical phase, Ethiopia is seeking to translate more than two decades of accession efforts and ongoing economic reforms into full membership of the global trading system.