Ethiopia's Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, Kassahun Gofe (PhD), has confirmed intensified efforts to finalize World Trade Organization (WTO) accession by March 2026. The announcement came after a meeting with Ambassador Rebecca Fisher Lamb, chair of the Ethiopia WTO Accession Working Party. It underscores renewed momentum toward membership after nearly two decades of pursuit.
On November 8, 2025, Minister of Trade and Regional Integration Kassahun Gofe (PhD) confirmed that Ethiopia is executing critical tasks at the highest level of commitment to finalize its World Trade Organization (WTO) accession by March 2026. The announcement followed a meeting with Ambassador Rebecca Fisher Lamb, chair of the Ethiopia WTO Accession Working Party, during which both sides reviewed progress in multilateral and bilateral market access negotiations.
Kassahun stated, "We are undertaking all necessary preparations to complete WTO accession in the coming March, executing decisive actions to meet this timeline." Ambassador Fisher Lamb noted that detailed updates were exchanged and pledged to coordinate with Working Party member states to address bottlenecks.
These discussions highlight Ethiopia’s renewed momentum toward full WTO membership, a goal pursued for nearly two decades, as the country aims for deeper integration into the global trading system.