Ministry Data Highlights Dominance of Djibouti Corridors, Road Freight, and Key Agricultural Exports Amid Regional Headwinds
By Staff Writer
(NAIROBI, Kenya) — Ethiopia transported over 17.57 million metric tons of import and export cargo during the 2025/26 fiscal year, with the Port of Djibouti handling nearly 97% of the country’s trade, according to data from the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.
Dhenge Boru, State Minister of Transport and Logistics, stated on his official X page that the country moved a total of 17,572,916.69 metric tons of cargo during the fiscal year. Imports accounted for 15,929,887.98 metric tons, while exports reached 1,643,028.71 metric tons.
The Port of Djibouti handled 15.34 million metric tons, representing 96.71% of all cargo passing through maritime routes serving Ethiopia. Somaliland’s Berbera port accounted for 2.74%, followed by Djibouti’s Tadjoura port with 1.23%, while the Mombasa-Moyale corridor handled 0.56%.
The figures show that Djibouti remains Ethiopia’s primary gateway for international trade, despite ongoing efforts to diversify and develop alternative transport corridors.
Road transport remained the dominant logistics mode, carrying 14.08 million metric tons, or 80.15% of total freight moved during the fiscal year.
The Ethio-Djibouti Railway carried 3.32 million metric tons, representing 18.92% of total transport, while air cargo accounted for 164,781 metric tons, or 0.94%.
According to the State Minister, the railway played a vital role in transporting key commodities like coffee and fertilizer. Air cargo supported time-sensitive and high-value exports, including flowers and pharmaceuticals.
Coffee claimed the largest share of export cargo by volume, with 440,089.80 metric tons transported (26.79% of total exports). Pulses followed at 311,881.24 metric tons (18.98%), oilseeds at 234,549.94 metric tons, and fruits and vegetables at 191,597.85 metric tons.
The Ministry reported a 7.26% increase in domestic container stuffing for exports. Out of 63,857 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) dispatched, domestic facilities packed 47,753 containers (74.78%), saving the country over $12.08 million in foreign exchange.
Despite these achievements, the sector faced notable headwinds, including political instability in the Horn of Africa, security threats in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb, elevated freight tariffs, and operational pressure on key transit arteries.
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