Ease of doing business
theboardiQ Tariffs Dashboard:
Powering Mutually Beneficial Global Trade.
Understand the complexities of international tariffs and ease of doing business across nations to cultivate balanced trade relationships, streamline operations, and deliver cost savings to end consumers.
Implications
Here is the latest information regarding US tariffs and trade with Ethiopia, as of early August 2025.
Current Tariffs and Trade Status
10% Baseline Tariff: Ethiopia is subject to the US's new baseline tariff of 10% on imports. This rate is set to become effective on August 7, 2025, as part of a broader executive order that imposes tariffs on a wide range of US trading partners. This is the rate applied to countries not specifically listed with higher tariffs.
AGOA Suspension: This new tariff environment compounds the challenges Ethiopia already faces. In 2022, Ethiopia was suspended from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which had previously granted duty-free access for many of its exports to the US. This suspension was a significant blow, and the new 10% tariff further increases the cost of Ethiopian goods in the US market.
Trade Deficit: The new tariffs are part of the US administration's push to address what it views as a trade imbalance. However, in Ethiopia's case, the US has historically maintained a trade surplus. The US goods trade surplus with Ethiopia was over $550 million in 2024.
Deals and Agreements
No Specific Deal: As of the latest updates, Ethiopia has not secured a special trade deal or agreement with the US to reduce or waive the new 10% tariff.
Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA): The US and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which includes Ethiopia, have a TIFA signed in 2001. However, this has not been leveraged to secure an exemption from the new tariffs.
AGOA: The future of the AGOA program itself, which is set to expire on September 30, 2025, is uncertain. Even if it were renewed, Ethiopia's eligibility for the program remains in question following its 2022 suspension.
Impact on Industries and Companies
The new tariffs, in combination with the loss of AGOA privileges, are expected to have a significant impact on key Ethiopian industries and the companies operating within them.
Apparel and Textiles: This sector, which had been a major beneficiary of AGOA, has already been severely hit. Following the AGOA suspension, Ethiopia's apparel exports to the US dropped sharply. The new 10% tariff will further erode the competitiveness of Ethiopian textiles, harming industrial parks and potentially leading to more job losses.
Oilseeds and Cut Flowers: These are other significant Ethiopian exports that will be impacted by the new tariffs. While the 10% tariff applies uniformly to Ethiopia and its key competitors, it raises import prices and can dampen demand, putting smaller exporters at a disadvantage.
Potential Opportunities: Some research suggests that sectors like leather and certain textiles may have "strategic openings" where modest gains are possible, provided Ethiopia can address its long-standing structural issues in production and export competitiveness.
Companies: Companies in Ethiopia's industrial parks, particularly those in the apparel and textile sectors, are at high risk. The loss of preferential access to the US market and the new tariffs are making it more difficult for them to compete with manufacturers in other countries that have secured better deals. The overall impact is a heightened sense of uncertainty and economic pressure on the country's export-driven businesses.
US Revised Tariffs
Country Tariffs
Balance of Trade
Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in countries, prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide, Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Tariff Rate for US
World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.
US Imports Guide
United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.
Investing in USA
theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters
Sources : Forbes | USDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia | International Trade Administration
theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.
Economic
Relevance
Ranking
State | Info | Overall Rank | Agri | Innov | Mfg | Employ | Tax | Edu | GDP | F500 Rep | Trade Balance | Cost of Living | Disp Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 13 | |
North Carolina | 2 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 41 | 17 | 17 | |
Virginia | 3 | 32 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 34 | 35 | 3 | |
Florida | 4 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 30 | 37 | |
Washington | 5 | 16 | 3 | 36 | 28 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 43 | 1 | |
Missouri | 6 | 11 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 13 | 32 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 20 | |
Georgia | 7 | 15 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 26 | 34 | 8 | 9 | 43 | 26 | 19 | |
Minnesota | 8 | 6 | 10 | 47 | 6 | 44 | 8 | 20 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 9 | |
Ohio | 9 | 12 | 32 | 7 | 30 | 35 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 15 | 11 | |
Illinois | 10 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 23 | 37 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 47 | 32 | 7 |