ADDIS ABABA – Ethio- China trade ties is gathering momentum , so stated Ethiopia’s Embassy in Beijing , China .
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to China, Tefera Derbew said that the trade relations between the two countries have been witnessing substantial increase from time to time.
The above remark came at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) that is underway in Beijing. The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) is a significant platform for Ethiopia to advance its tourism industry and foster new business connections, Ethiopian Ambassador to China, Amb. Tefera said.
“I think so far we have a strong partnership between the two countries, as you may know, Ethiopia and China have established an all- weather strategic partnership,” ambassador Tefera told CGTN.
“Trade in services is one of the key areas of our cooperation, supported by various framework agreements we have signed. Currently, we are trying to assess the cross-border e-commerce,” he added.
“So far we have authorized three Chinese companies to open an online Ethiopian pavilion, so we can trade in service, we can promote our products and we can also sell our products to Chinese customers.”
Moreover, the ambassador elaborated that while there is a general growing trend, coffee is experiencing particularly rapid growth due to increased demand from Chinese consumers. “We are very much satisfied with the current status of our trading with China.”
Currently, on top of coffee, Ethiopia exports sesame, mung beans, kidney beans and other agricultural products to China, he said, adding “ We would like to export more agricultural commodities from Ethiopia, like cassava.”
“We have been working with the regulatory bodies so that we can access and allow exports of avocado to the Chinese market. I think on top of current increasing trend of Ethiopian commodities, now we are working on bringing more, and diversifying the type of products that we export to China,” the ambassador added.
BY MESERET BEHAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2024
