Ethiopia has completed construction of seven public-sector textile and apparel industrial parks, with nine additional facilities planned, as the country intensifies its push to capture global export jobs.
The expansion relies heavily on Chinese firms, which are financing and operating most of the new zones in a strategic bid to replicate China’s own industrial park model in East Africa.
The infrastructure push comes as Ethiopia reports strong export performance, having generated $10.
The infrastructure push comes as Ethiopia reports strong export performance, having generated $10.7 billion in export revenue for the current fiscal year.
This figure surpassed the government’s annual target by 14 percent, according to the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, signaling that the country’s broader trade strategy is gaining traction despite ongoing macroeconomic challenges.
The reliance on Chinese capital and operational expertise underscores a deeper structural shift in Ethiopia’s manufacturing sector.
By outsourcing the management of these industrial zones to Chinese entities, Addis Ababa aims to accelerate the development of a complete cotton-to-clothing value chain, reducing dependency on imported raw materials and increasing the competitiveness of its apparel exports in international markets.