The United States has secured market access for its live cattle, day-old chicks and eggs in Ethiopia.

The deal comes just about three months after Washington offered to back Ethiopia’s $10 billion Bishoftu International Airport near Addis Ababa, marking the Trump administration’s first major business engagement in the Horn of Africa.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) disclosed that the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority approved market access requests for live cattle, day-old chicks and hatching eggs on December 16, 2025 after officials from the two countries concluded new veterinary health certificates authorising the exports.“The United States in coordination with Ethiopia’s regulatory authorities, have finalised new veterinary health certificates authorising the export of US live cattle, day-old chicks, and hatching eggs to Ethiopia,” the agency said in a report dated December 23, 2025.

The agreement also opens the Ethiopian market to US bovine semen and bovine embryos.

The US currently imports coffee, textiles and garments from Ethiopia, while exporting aircraft, engines, spare parts, machinery and wheat under a framework set by the 1951 Treaty of Amity.

Ethiopia’s textile and apparel exports to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) were suspended in 2022 over human rights concerns.

China remains Ethiopia’s largest foreign investor, followed by Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

US backing for the multibillion-dollar Bishoftu International Airport signals Washington’s effort to maintain strong ties with a key ally in the Horn of Africa despite Ethiopia’s internal challenges.

Official data show the country has about 70 million cattle, 43 million sheep, 53 million goats, eight million camels and around 57 million poultry. The sector contributes roughly 45 percent of agricultural GDP.

However, productivity remains constrained by low-yield indigenous genetics, inadequate feed, limited veterinary services and weak processing infrastructure.

Despite its large herd, Ethiopia aims to shift towards improved, high-productivity breeds and more intensive production systems.

Policy priorities focus on moving from extensive to intensive livestock production, creating opportunities for US exporters of advanced genetics and reproductive technologies to improve yields and efficiency.

Ethiopia’s dairy, beef and poultry subsectors are expected to grow on the back of rising domestic demand, supportive government policies and efforts to modernise production.

The dairy sector is guided by the National Dairy Development Strategy (2022–2031), which seeks to quadruple milk production through better genetics, feed systems and farm management under initiatives such as the “Bounty of the Basket” programme.

The beef sector is supported by strong domestic demand and expanding export markets, alongside plans to upgrade genetics, strengthen feed supply and promote specialised beef production and fattening systems.

Poultry is also expanding, driven by rising demand for affordable protein amid rapid population growth and urbanisation.

Overall, government policy is focused on scaling up livestock production through improved breeds and more commercialised models.

The sector, however, continues to face structural challenges, including weak value-chain integration, limited access to quality feed and veterinary services, inadequate biosecurity, and shortages of high-quality day-old chicks and hatching eggs.

According to the USDA, addressing these constraints—particularly through improved genetics, stronger services and better market infrastructure—is critical to unlocking Ethiopia’s livestock sector potential.

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