Geneva (HN24) – Ethiopia has become the largest commercial services provider among the least-developed countries in the world (LDCs). According to WTO-OECD findings, Ethiopia accounts for roughly 17% to 18.3% of total commercial services exports among global LDCs, surpassing countries like Tanzania and Bangladesh.
As this report indicates, major contributors to Ethiopia’s service export sector include aviation and transport services (such as Ethiopian Airlines), tourism, and technology-driven or digital/business services.
The publication was released to coincide with the opening of the WTO’s 2026 Global Review of Aid for Trade at its Geneva headquarters, marking two decades of international efforts to help developing economies break down barriers to global commerce.
Opening the gathering, WTO Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, urged development partners to evaluate the future of trade-related assistance against a tightening financial landscape.
LDCs continue to enjoy duty-free market access to most developed countries and several developing countries. For example, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland offer 100% duty-free market access to LDCs while Chile, the European Union, Iceland and the United Kingdom offer over 99% duty-free market access to LDCs. In addition, Canada, Japan, and China offer at least 97% duty-free market access.
