Ethiopia and Canada have concluded bilateral market access negotiations under Ethiopia's World Trade Organization (WTO) accession process. A Bilateral Market Access Protocol was signed at WTO headquarters in Geneva.
The Protocol was signed by Ambassador Tsegab Kebebew Daka, Ethiopia's Permanent Representative to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, and Ambassador Michelle Cooper, Canada's Permanent Representative to the WTO.
Ambassador Tsegab stated that WTO accession is important to Ethiopia's economic reform agenda. He said it would strengthen competitiveness, attract investment, expand productive capacity, and support integration into regional and global markets.
Ambassador Cooper noted the conclusion of the negotiations and reaffirmed Canada's support for Ethiopia's WTO accession. She cited opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment in various sectors.
The agreement is a milestone in Ethiopia's WTO accession process and provides a basis for strengthened economic cooperation between the two countries, which established diplomatic relations in 1965. It also advances Ethiopia's accession efforts ahead of the Eighth Meeting of the Working Party on Ethiopia's accession, scheduled for 9–10 November 2026.
Ethiopia has been pursuing WTO membership for years, with the accession process tied closely to its Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda. The reforms have included a shift to a market-determined exchange rate in July 2024 and the opening of key sectors such as telecommunications and trade to foreign participation. They have also included the establishment of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange.
The seventh Working Party meeting on Ethiopia's accession was held in April 2026, during which Ethiopia reported concluding bilateral market access agreements with nine member countries.
Canada and Ethiopia have maintained diplomatic relations since 1965, with ties expanding across development cooperation and trade. Canada's annual development support to Ethiopia exceeds 200 million USD, focusing on areas including gender equality, agricultural productivity, and humanitarian aid.
Canadian companies have also invested in Ethiopia's mining sector, and Ethiopian Airlines operates Canadian-built aircraft.
