• Ministry of Mines issued production licenses to three companies on March 13, 2026. 

• Ethiopian Investment Holding received a potash production license. 

• ZYTB-DIM Steel Manufacturing received an iron production license. 

• Bero Mining received a gold production license. 

• The three projects are expected to require USD 4.2 billion in combined investment. 

• Ministry said the projects aim to expand mineral output, exports and reduce foreign exchange losses. 

• ZYTB-DIM said it plans to produce 2 million metric tons every two years. 

Why it matters?
The licenses move three mining projects from exploration into production. For Ethiopia, that affects export earnings, industrial raw material supply, and future fertilizer and steel input availability.