For decades, the border between Ethiopia and Kenya has been a hub for informal commerce, with livestock, agricultural produce, household goods, and other essentials moving across the frontier through small-scale traders.
While this trade has sustained livelihoods in border communities, much of it has taken place outside formal customs systems, limiting government oversight and exposing traders to legal and financial risks.
Ethiopia is now taking steps to change that.
The Ethiopian Customs Commission has introduced a new directive establishing a legal framework for small-scale cross-border trade with Kenya.
The initiative is designed to formalize informal commerce, curb contraband, improve customs compliance, and strengthen economic cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.
