It is a workshop jointly organized by the ECA, through its African Trade Policy Center (ATPC), and the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA). The workshop is part of an ongoing technical support by the ECA to the Ethiopian private sector, as represented by ECCSA, to facilitate the effective participation of Ethiopia in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It is intended to bring together industry representatives from the Ethiopian Government and the private sector as well as relevant international and regional partners. The specific objectives of the workshop are:-
- Informing and sensitizing the Ethiopian leather industry relating to the AfCFTA and its implications for the industry;
- Exploring the opportunities, challenges, options, and strategies to help position the Ethiopian leather industry to exploit the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA to the full; and
- Considering the utility and feasibility of establishing a permanent platform for regular dialogue on AfCFTA and the leather industry in Ethiopia.