Ethiopia eases coffee regulations for visitors

Authorities claim that visitors will now be permitted to take out 2 kilogrammes of the main export crop of the nation.

According to the Ethiopian customs authorities, airline passengers leaving Ethiopia will no longer be prohibited from bringing home-grown coffee for personal consumption, the Russian Embassy in Addis Ababa said on Friday.

Due to modifications in customs law, the Ethiopian government on Monday temporarily outlawed travellers from carrying locally produced coffee in any form outside of the nation.

The Russian Embassy in Ethiopia posted on its Telegram channel that “Ethiopian customs authorities have clarified the previous order and explained that passengers flying out of the country can carry up to 2 kg of coffee per person for personal use.”

The Ethiopian Embassy in Moscow stressed that the prohibitions do not apply to commercial coffee trade.

The diplomatic mission stated, “This is a temporary measure, and we are talking about airline passengers; this does not apply to commercial exports.”

According to the International Coffee Organisation, based in London, Ethiopia is the greatest producer of Arabica coffee among African countries and ranks fifth internationally in terms of coffee production, behind Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, and Indonesia. According to reports, the coffee industry in Ethiopia provides up to 25% of the country’s foreign exchange profits.