Ethiopian Trade Point

• Organization and Objectives
• Services

Organization and Objective Establishment

The Ethiopian Government had submitted an official request to UNCTAD on 27^th of February 1995 expressing its interest in setting up the Ethiopian Trade Point.

Subsequently, a half-day sensitization workshop was conducted on November 4, 1996, with the participation of a delegate from UNCTAD as well as potential participants and users of the Trade Point.

Considering the decisive role a Trade Point has for the development of the foreign trade, the Ethiopian Trade Point has been established in October 1997 (Council of Ministers Regulations No. 20/1997).

The Ethiopian Trade Point is an autonomous government institution, established under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. It is governed by a Board of Management, constituting seven members designated both from the private sector and relevant government institutions.

The major objectives of the Trade Point are:

1. To collect, compile, process and appropriately disseminate trade related information so as to promote the Country’s foreign trade;

2. To make foreign trade procedures efficient by facilitating a situation whereby the Trade Point participants provide a coordinated service; and

3. To facilitate electronic trade transactions based on international standards.

To receive, collect, compile and disseminate to users trade-related information by becoming part of the global information network and using modern communication systems;

To send, receive and distribute Electronic Trading Opportunities (ETO’s) to the business community;

To collect and compile company profiles and make them easily and electronically accessible to users;

To promote domestic products on international markets by using the communication system of the Trade Point;

To collect and disseminate foreign trade laws, regulations, directives and technical standards of other countries, etc.