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Sub-Saharan Africa · ET

India Ethiopia

India exported USD 443.3 mn to Ethiopia in 2024, led by HS 30, and imported USD 85.8 mn. Here are the documents, the gateways and how SSL moves your cargo on the India side.

  • CurrencyETB Br
  • Time−2h30 vs IST
  • CapitalAddis Ababa
  • AccessLandlocked
Get a quote for Ethiopia How exporting works
  • Road
  • Air
  1. Road leg in India to the gateway, SSL fleet · Road
  2. Air leg to Ethiopia · Air

Road in India, then sea or air onward

Exports from India
USD 443.3 mn
Imports into India
USD 85.8 mn
Trade partner rank
#100

Happiness, on this lane, is the buyer in Addis Ababa whose goods arrive on the promised day, and the shipper in India who never has to chase.

At a glance

Region
Sub-Saharan AfricaEastern Africa
Income group
Low incomeWorld Bank
Currency
ETBEthiopian birr
Languages
Amharic
Capital
Addis Ababa
Time
−2h30 vs ISTUTC+03:00
Access
Landlocked
Trade partner rank
#1000.047% of India's trade

Trade agreements: No India trade agreement in force (MFN terms; check GSTP separately).. Sources: World Bank country classification; ISO 4217 and languages via mledoze/countries; IANA time zones; agreements per India Briefing FTA tracker and Invest India.

Ship from India to Ethiopia

USD 443.3 mnIndia's exports to Ethiopia, 2024 (FOB)
0.10%of India's exports to the world
USD 529.1 mntwo-way trade, 2024
India's top exports to Ethiopia, 2024
  1. HS 30 Pharmaceutical products USD 167.4 mn38%
  2. HS 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors USD 35.2 mn8%
  3. HS 39 Plastics and articles thereof USD 30.5 mn7%
  4. HS 38 Chemical products n.e.c. USD 28.5 mn6%
  5. HS 85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof USD 17.8 mn4%

Gateways in Ethiopia

Seaports: Landlocked: sea cargo moves through a neighbouring country's port.

Airports: Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) · Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) · Gerad Wilwal International Airport (JIJ) · Hawassa International Airport (AWA)

OurAirports: large (else medium) airports with scheduled service and an IATA code. Direct service from India NOT verified.

Transit time

No public port-to-port benchmark is published here yet. We do not guess one: our desk gives you the current sailing or flight time with the quote.

Source: UN Comtrade, 2024. India as reporter; exports FOB, imports CIF; general trade, all modes; HS 2022 (H6) chapters. Retrieved 29 Sep 2026.

Import from Ethiopia to India

USD 85.8 mnIndia's imports from Ethiopia, 2024 (CIF)
16%of the two-way trade is India buying
India's top imports from Ethiopia, 2024
  1. HS 07 Vegetables and certain roots and tubers USD 47.0 mn55%
  2. HS 53 Vegetable textile fibres USD 16.2 mn19%
  3. HS 12 Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits USD 5.0 mn6%
  4. HS 71 Natural, cultured pearls USD 4.1 mn5%
  5. HS 78 Lead and articles thereof USD 2.9 mn3%

On arrival in India the importer files a bill of entry on ICEGATE; customs assesses basic customs duty, the social welfare surcharge and IGST on the assessable value. No agreement rate is available, so the standard tariff applies. Read the import guide →

How SSL moves it

Road in India, then sea or air onward

India leg: by road to the Indian gateway

SSL's fleet moves your cargo by road to and from India's ports and airports.

International leg. The air leg, or the sea leg through a neighbouring country's port, is arranged by our desk, and our desk arranges customs clearance.

Ask our desk for a quote Email the desk

Outside India? Email (corporatesales@sslpl.in) is the easiest way for our desk to reply across time zones. WhatsApp +91 75062 45557 works too.

Documents

General guidance: verify every shipment with your customs broker and the current DGFT and CBIC notifications.

IEC
An Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT is needed for any commercial shipment to or from Ethiopia. Guide →
HS code
Classify every line under the HS nomenclature; India's largest export chapter to Ethiopia in 2024 was HS 30. The 8-digit ITC(HS) code goes on the shipping bill. Guide →
Incoterms
Ethiopia is landlocked, so the multimodal terms (FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP) fit better than FOB or CIF, which are for sea legs only. Guide →
Certificate of origin
Non-preferential CoO Guide →

Questions about shipping between India and Ethiopia

Does India have a free trade agreement with Ethiopia?
No bilateral or regional agreement between India and Ethiopia is recorded in our sources, so goods move at normal (MFN) duty rates with a non-preferential certificate of origin. Source: Invest India / India Briefing FTA tracker, 2026.
What does India export to Ethiopia?
India exported USD 443.3 mn of goods to Ethiopia in 2024. The largest chapters were HS 30 pharmaceutical products (USD 167.4 mn), HS 84 machinery and mechanical appliances, bo… (USD 35.2 mn), HS 39 plastics and articles thereof (USD 30.5 mn). That is 0.10% of India's exports to the world. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, exports FOB.
What does India import from Ethiopia?
India imported USD 85.8 mn from Ethiopia in 2024, mainly HS 07 vegetables and certain roots and tubers (USD 47.0 mn), HS 53 vegetable textile fibres (USD 16.2 mn), HS 12 oil seeds and oleaginous fruits (USD 5.0 mn). To claim a lower agreement rate on these goods, the importer needs origin proof under CAROTAR 2020. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, imports CIF.
How big is India-Ethiopia trade?
Two-way goods trade between India and Ethiopia was USD 529.1 mn in 2024, 0.047% of India's total, which ranks Ethiopia number 100 among India's trading partners. India exports more than it imports on this lane. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024.
How long does shipping from India to Ethiopia take?
No public port-to-port benchmark for India to Ethiopia is published on this page yet. Our desk confirms the current sailing or flight time for your cargo when it quotes. Source: SSL global dataset, 29 Sep 2026.
What certificate of origin do I need to export to Ethiopia?
A non-preferential certificate of origin is the usual document; both kinds are issued through the DGFT e-CoO platform (coo.dgft.gov.in). Check the buyer's letter of credit or import rules for the exact form. Source: DGFT, 2026.
What is the time difference between India and Ethiopia?
Addis Ababa runs at UTC+03:00 in 2026, which is −2h30 vs IST. Plan calls and cut-offs with our desk in IST; we reply by email across time zones. Source: IANA time-zone database, 2026.
Does Safe & Secure Logistics clear customs for Ethiopia shipments?
Yes. Our desk arranges clearance for your shipment, or works with your own broker, while SSL's fleet runs the road leg in India. Our desk shares the operator's licence and documents for your shipment on request. Source: SSL site facts, 29 Sep 2026.

Keep exploring

Data: UN Comtrade 2024 · retrieved 29 Sep 2026. Company figures appear only where sourced from SSL's own register.

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