Pakistan and Ethiopia Trade Talks: Medicine Registrations, Direct Flights and a Meeting in February 2027

Ethiopia's Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, Yasmin Wohabrebbi, led the other side. She asked Pakistan to help Ethiopia finish joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). The talks produced no signed agreement, no tariff cut and no new visa rule. What they did produce is a short list of open issues that both ministries now say they will chase.

Pakistan and Ethiopia trade ministers met online on 13 November

The meeting was a high-level virtual session on Friday 13 November 2026. Jam Kamal Khan and Yasmin Wohabrebbi led it, with both ambassadors, Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul and senior officials present. The Ministry of Commerce released its account on 14 November.

Medicine registration in Ethiopia is the main problem for Pakistani firms

Pakistani drug makers need their products registered by Ethiopia's regulator before they can sell there. Both the minister and the commerce secretary asked for these pending registrations to be cleared early. The secretary called for steady technical contact between the two regulators to remove the delays.

Pharmaceuticals are one of the sectors Pakistan pushes hardest in Africa. When Pakistan held a trade conference and "Made in Pakistan" exhibition in Addis Ababa in October 2025, medicines were on the list of target industries with textiles, engineering and farm goods.

Registration abroad is separate from a licence at home. A Pakistani firm must first hold a drug manufacturing licence from DRAP, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan. You can look up any Pakistani maker on the DRAP list of licensed pharmaceutical units.

Ethiopia asked Pakistan for help on joining the WTO

Ethiopia is not yet a member of the World Trade Organization. Its minister said it has finished 11 of the 17 bilateral market-access deals it needs. She asked Pakistan to help with the rest while Ethiopia keeps talking to Pakistan about its own trade interests.

A country that wants to join the WTO must agree market-access terms with every member that asks for talks. Pakistan is one of those members. So Pakistan can use the talks to ask for better terms for its own goods, and the minister asked for "early resolution" of the open WTO issues.

The two ministers agreed to work towards a Joint Economic Committee

Both ministers discussed convening a Joint Economic Committee and drawing up a practical plan to grow trade and investment. They said they would chase the open issues before the bilateral meeting proposed for February 2027. Neither side gave a date for the committee itself.

Here is where each issue stands after the talks:

1. Medicine registrations: pending in Ethiopia, both sides want technical-level follow-up.
2. WTO market access: Ethiopia has 11 of 17 bilateral deals done, and Pakistan wants its own issues settled.
3. Direct air links: Pakistan says it is working to make them easier, with no route or start date announced.
4. Joint Economic Committee: agreed in principle, no meeting date set.
5. Bilateral meeting: proposed for February 2027.

The difference between these stages matters. "Agreed to pursue" means talks will continue. It does not mean a treaty, a tariff change or a new rule that a trader can use today.

Why Ethiopia matters for Pakistani exporters

The commerce minister called Ethiopia "an important gateway to East African markets". Addis Ababa is also the seat of the African Union. He named manufacturing, medicines, farming, textiles and investment as the areas for more cooperation, and asked that goodwill turn into real business.

Pakistan's push into Africa runs under the "Look Africa" policy. The Ministry of Commerce and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) held the 5th Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference in Addis Ababa from 16 to 18 October 2025, with more than 100 Pakistani exporters taking part.

• Medicine makers: the registration backlog is the issue to watch. Until products are registered, they cannot be sold there.
• Textile and food exporters: any Joint Economic Committee could cover tariffs and standards, but nothing has changed yet.
• New exporters: TDAP runs trade fairs and buyer meetings in Africa. The basic first steps are in our guide to starting exports with TDAP.

For a sense of scale, Pakistan sold $8.44 billion of goods abroad in July to September 2026, led by knitwear at $1.48 billion, as shown in the PBS export list for that quarter. The ministry wants new markets beyond its usual buyers, and East Africa is one it names often.

Common questions

When did Pakistan and Ethiopia hold these trade talks?

On Friday 13 November 2026, by video link. The Ministry of Commerce published its account on 14 November.

Who led the talks?

Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan for Pakistan and Trade and Regional Integration Minister Yasmin Wohabrebbi for Ethiopia.

Was any trade agreement signed?

No. The two sides agreed to pursue open issues and to work towards a Joint Economic Committee. Nothing was signed.

Are there direct flights between Pakistan and Ethiopia now?

The commerce ministry said Pakistan is working to make direct air links easier. It did not announce a new route, airline or start date.

What is the WTO issue with Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is joining the WTO and needs 17 bilateral market-access deals. It has finished 11 and asked Pakistan for help with the rest.

When will the two countries meet next?

A bilateral meeting is proposed for February 2027. No exact date or venue has been announced.

How we verified this

What we checked and where we read it.

We checked the Ministry of Commerce release issued through the Press Information Department on 14 November 2026, PR 172 on the Pakistan and Ethiopia trade talks. The same release appears twice on the PID site, under two page numbers, with identical text. Background on the October 2025 Addis Ababa conference is from PID PR 150 of 17 October 2025 and PR 168 of 18 October 2025.