In 1996/97 Ethiopia exported 118,000 tons of coffee, which is valued at about US dollars 340 million. More than 90% of the nation’s coffee harvested is organically produced.

The inherently superior quality of Ethiopian highland arabica coffee is unmatched, particularly in flavor and aroma. Ethiopia also produces several types of coffee, the water soluble extracts of which can be used for hot beverages, iced drinks, ice creams and in the confectionery industries.

Ethiopia offers a wide range of processed and semi-processed hides and skins to the world market. Some of the products, such as Ethiopian highland sheepskin (which has gained international reputation for making gloves), are known for their quality and natural characteristics.

The high quality Ethiopian hides and skins exports include.

• Pickled sheep skin
• wet blue sheep skin
• crust sheep skin
• wet blue goat skin
• crust goat skin
• crust cow hides
• finished garment leather
• finised glove leather
• lining/upper leather
• suede leather
• full grain leather
• corrected grain leather
• embossed leather
• patent leather

The export of finished leather and leather products (such as leather garments, foot wear, gloves, bags and other leather articles) is also highly promising.

With the largest livestock population in Africa, Ethiopia has an ample supply base for the export of live animals and meat. Its livestock resources are estimated at 27 million cattle, 24 million sheep and 18 million goats.

Livestock husbandry is mostly carried out under natural grazing, making the meat and meat products obtained from the animals very tasty and nutritionally healthy for human consumption. Ethiopia’s main exports of live animals and meat products include :

Steers and yearlings;

Low land sheep and goats;

Fresh and chilled lamb and mutton carcass;

Fresh and chilled goat carcass;

Fresh and chilled veal carcass and beef four quarter;

Fresh and chilled boneless veal and beef;

Frozen lamb, mutton, goat carcass, veal and beef special cuts; etc.

Ethiopia has exported 78 thousand tons of oilseeds and 20 thousand tons of pulses in 1996 / 97.

The Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel), European Union, some Asian and neighboring African countries constitute the major markets for Ethiopia’s oilseeds and pulses exports.

With a favorable climate, abundant abour, land and water resources, most regions of the Country are suitable for the production of a wide range of tropical and sub - tropical fruits, vegetables and flowers.

The major vegetable export products are: Potatoes, Green beans, Okra, Melon, White and Red Onion, Shallots, Cabbage, Leeks, Beetroot, Carrots, Green Chile, Tomatoes and Lettuce. The main exportable fruits are Orange, Mandarin Grape fruit, Mango, Guava, Lemon & Lime, while cut flower exports include Statice, Allium, Roses and Carnations.

The textile industry is the largest manufacturing industry in the Country. There are more than fourteen state owned and private major textile and garment factories. It employs about 30,000 workers having a share of 36% of the manufacturing industry.

The main textile products manufactured in the Country are cotton and nylon fabrics, acrylic yarn, woolen and waste cotton blankets and sewing thread.

The cotton yarn and thread products include :

Yarn/bleached or grey/ combed or carded 81/2, 10, 21 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 counts and others as per the requirements of customers.

Pure polyester and cotton sewing thread in different colours and counts :

• 40/3, 50/3, 60/3 pure cotton;

• 60/3, 100% polyesters;

• 5,000 or 1,000meters in spool;

• 5,000 or 10,000 meters in cones for industrial use; etc.

The domestic potential of cotton production as basic raw material is far more than the demand of the current installed spinning capacity and the availability of cheap labour is one of the major parameters for considering this industrial sector as one of the strategic industries for export development.

adhesive thickeners;

thickeners, stabilizers, flavour, fixatives and emulsifying agents in food products;

clarification in beverages;

release agents for rubber products;

formulations in cosmetics;

etc.

Gum Myrrh

Gum Olibanum

Gum Oppoponex

Gum Arabic

The quality of tea mainly depends on climatic conditions, the type of soil upon which the plant grows and the

method of processing. In Ethiopia, tea is mostly grown in the highland dense forest regions where the land is fertile and thus the use of fertilizer is very minimal.

Moreover, the availability of abundant and cheap labour in the Country has made the use of manual weeding, instead of chemical weeding, possible. Because of this mostly organic cultivation, Ethiopian tea is increasingly sought for its aroma and natural flavours. This is confirmed by the "International Gold Star" award for quality recently given by B.D.I. in Madrid, Spain to one of the major Ethiopian tea exporters, Tea Production and Marketing Enterprise

Most of Ethiopian mineral products are potentially exportable to countries in East and

Southern Africa, and in the Asia / Oceania market area as, in both of these regions, because of the freight cost advantage over established exports from Europe and North America.

Ethiopia has also recently entered into the export of high quality dimensional stones, i.e. different types of unprocessed (blocks) and processed marble, granite and lime stones suitable for both internal and external uses.

Blocks

Rosegreen Marble

Pink Granite

Purple Marble

Some other products that Ethiopia exports to the world market include :