The Brazilian trade and investment promotion agency ApexBrasil opened its first permanent office on the African continent in Addis Ababa. This establishment should facilitate trade between Ethiopian and Brazilian companies and support investments in the Ethiopian and East African markets.
ApexBrasil opened its permanent office in Addis Ababa on 1 September 2026, in the presence of Ethiopian and Brazilian officials, private sector representatives and diplomats.
The representation must provide Brazilian companies with information about the Ethiopian market, facilitate their search for local partners and organize business linkages. It will also carry out investment promotion activities and support trade missions.
This opening came after a Brazilian trade mission to Ethiopia in February 2026. According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it had brought together over 70 Brazilian representatives and generated more than 300 business meetings.
Several agreements had been concluded, including a protocol between the Ethiopian Kerchanshe group and the Brazilian agricultural research company Embrapa. Ethiopia and Brazil also celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2026 and are both members of the BRICS.
Sectors identified as priorities include agriculture and agro-industry, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, renewable energy, infrastructure and aviation.
The Ethiopian Investment Commission also identified coffee, improved seeds, livestock and agricultural technologies as possible areas of cooperation. Addis Ababa is to serve as the basis for ApexBrasil's activities in Ethiopia and in East African markets.
According to Laudemir Müller, President of ApexBrasil, trade between Brazil and Africa increased from about $5 billion in 2002 to $28 billion in 2013, before declining to $11.5 billion in 2020. They reached $25 billion in 2025, according to the figures presented at the inauguration.
In particular, the Agency justified Ethiopia's choice by its economic growth, membership of the BRICS and geographical position. The country is also presented by Ethiopian officials as a gateway to African markets within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFTAAf).
