Two Commodities. One Structural Problem.
Ethiopia's Export Economy Beyond Gold and Coffee: The Composition Problem, the Sectors Falling Short, and What Genuine Diversification Requires
Executive summary
What this brief covers.
Ethiopia's $8.3 billion export record in FY2024/25 is real. The problem is that 74% comes from gold and coffee, both at or near cycle highs and both structurally fragile. The formalisation channel shift in gold largely happened in one year and will not repeat at the same scale. The sectors that should diversify the base are collectively underperforming their targets.
National Bank of Ethiopia; MoTRI; EIC; UNCTAD
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Suggested citation
Tamene, Edosa. “Two Commodities. One Structural Problem..” InfoPlate Media and Consulting, May 5, 2026.
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