The economic relations between Ethiopia and Germany are well established. For most of the recent history, Germany has been the number 1 importer of coffee from Ethiopia, the most important export product of the country. For years the trade volume between Germany and Ethiopia has been developing in a very positive way. In 2014, German exports to Ethiopia jumped by 38 percent to 238.8 million Euro, largely due to the interest of Ethiopian and foreign investors in German machinery and vehicles. The impressive economic growth in Ethiopia is partly powered by machines ‘Made in Germany’.

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German imports from Ethiopia have also risen by 14.4 percent to 185 million Euro. Germany mainly imports coffee and textiles from Ethiopia.

This impressive development of bilateral trade paves the way for future German investments and the number of German companies that are exploring the Ethiopian markets with Representative Offices is steadily increasing. A bilateral investment protection treaty is in place since 2007. There is no German Chamber in Ethiopia yet, but the Chamber in Nairobi, Kenya is currently handling Ethiopia from the neighbouring country.