# Ethiopian Trade Strategy Targets Mombasa, Berbera, Sudan Ports

> Somaliland Sun reported on 2015-06-19 Ethiopia's plan to use ports in Kenya, Somaliland and Sudan to boost trade volume.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 1 October 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: ports, drainage
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/ethiopian-trade-strategy-targets-ports

## Key points

- On 2015-06-19, Somaliland Sun reported Ethiopia's new national strategy to use Mombasa, Berbera and Port Sudan.
- The report does not establish that trade volumes through these ports have actually increased since then.
- Ethiopia began using Berbera Port in February 2015 after a deal with Somaliland, according to the report.

On 19 June 2015, Somaliland Sun reported that Ethiopia was adopting a new national strategy to increase trade volume by using ports in Kenya, Somaliland and Sudan. The report, citing Kenyan publication Kenya Engineer, said Ethiopia would use Mombasa, Berbera and Port Sudan while continuing to use Djibouti port. It does not establish that these changes took effect or that trade volumes shifted after that date.

According to the report, Ethiopia began using the Port of Berbera in February 2015, a month after Somaliland and Ethiopia signed a deal. Ethiopian government officials said Berbera would be used to import coal to Ethiopia, with goods also arriving from India, the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. The report does not disclose the duration, fees or signatories of the Ethiopia-Somaliland agreement.

The report offers no verified data on cargo throughput at Berbera or the other ports after June 2015. It does not state whether Ethiopia still uses Berbera for imports or exports, nor whether road works in Ethiopia or road widening in Kenya have been approved or completed. It also gives no evidence that the new strategy was formally adopted on a specific date.

The Horn of Africa port landscape has changed since 2015, but the Somaliland Sun article provides only a snapshot of Ethiopia's stated intentions at that time. Readers should treat its claims about port usage as attributed to that source and not as confirmation of current operations.

## Questions

### What are Ethiopia's trade goals regarding these ports?

Ethiopia aims to increase trade volume by using Mombasa, Berbera and Port Sudan, according to Somaliland Sun's 2015 report.

### How does Berbera compare with Mombasa and Sudan ports?

The report does not provide comparative data on Berbera, Mombasa or Port Sudan. It only states Ethiopia's plan to use all three.

### What is the current cargo throughput at Berbera?

The Somaliland Sun article does not provide cargo throughput figures for Berbera or any other port.

## Sources

- [Somaliland: Ethiopian Trade Strategies Target Mombasa, Berbera and Sudan Ports to Increase](https://somalilandsun.com/somaliland-ethiopian-trade-strategies-target-mombasa-berbera-and-sudan-ports-to-increase/) — Somaliland Sun, 2015-06-19