Ethiopia has also signed border trade protocol with its neighboring countries to allow border trade for people who reside in the border areas. These protocols are:
The main objective of these agreements is to facilitate the availability of basic commodities to the bordering peoples who cannot easily obtain those goods from the central part of the signatory countries. The border Trade protocols also helps to reduce illegal and contraband trade across the border areas (to formalize the informal trades), to increase volume of trade between the parties, to ensure peace and security in the border areas.
Moreover Ethiopia is on process of negotiation to sign a Simplified Border Trade Agreement (SBTA) with Kenya. The two countries have held one round negotiation on the draft SBTA and it is planned to finalize the negotiation in this year.
Ethiopia and Djibouti are also negotiating to amend the existing Border Trade Protocol and make it compatible with COMESA STR.
