Relationship dossier
Ethiopia
United States
Relationship assessment
Longstanding cooperation on aid and regional security, alongside significant strains over conflict and human rights.
Ethiopia toward United States
+10The Ethiopian government has cooperated with the United States on regional security, including counterterrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa. The relationship has also involved diplomatic engagement, though cooperation has been strained by U.S. criticism of Ethiopia’s conduct during the Tigray conflict.
United States toward Ethiopia
+5The U.S. government has provided Ethiopia with substantial development and humanitarian assistance and engaged Ethiopian leaders on regional security and conflict resolution. It also suspended Ethiopia’s AGOA trade eligibility effective in 2022 amid concerns related to the Tigray conflict and human rights.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship combines sustained assistance and security engagement with significant political friction. U.S. trade restrictions and criticism over the Tigray conflict have constrained cooperation, while diplomatic engagement and humanitarian support have continued.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Ethiopia and the United States have maintained a substantial relationship involving development and humanitarian assistance and cooperation on regional security, including counterterrorism. Relations have also faced serious strain over the Tigray conflict and human rights concerns. The United States suspended Ethiopia’s eligibility for AGOA trade benefits in 2022, while diplomatic engagement continued.
Areas of tension
- U.S. criticism of human rights conditions and conduct during the Tigray conflict
- Suspension of Ethiopia’s AGOA trade eligibility
Key developments
The United States suspended Ethiopia’s eligibility for trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act amid concerns related to the Tigray conflict and human rights.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ethiopia and held talks with Ethiopian leaders, addressing bilateral relations and regional issues.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of current security cooperation are unclear.
- The scope and durability of U.S. aid and trade restrictions, and their effects on bilateral engagement, remain uncertain.