Addis Abeba — The Ministry of Trade has announced that khat exporters will now be required to undergo a rigorous registration process, which includes meeting newly issued pre-license requirements to participate in the business. During a press briefing held yesterday, Gebremeskel Chala, Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, emphasized the necessity of pre-licensing criteria for the khat export sector. There are almost 5,000 registered khat exporters in Ethiopia; however, less than 500 are active in the industry. Gebremeskel warned that khat exporters who fail to renew their licenses within the given timeframe and meet the necessary requirements will have their khat export license revoked. In May 2022, the Ministry made an additional announcement stating that it had taken action to revoke the business licenses of 830 khat exporters.
