The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has announced that it will conduct a $70 million foreign exchange auction on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, as part of its ongoing efforts to stabilize the foreign exchange market.
In a notice issued on March 16 in Addis Ababa, the central bank said the auction is part of its commitment to run regular bi-weekly FX auctions aimed at supporting price stability and improving external balance.
Related articles
Commercial banks interested in participating in the auction are invited to submit their bids via email during the designated submission window.
Details of the FX Auction
- Auction Amount: $70 million
- Auction Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
- Bid Submission Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
- Results Announcement: 3:00 PM
- Settlement: End of day, March 17, 2026
- Submission Email: fxauction@nbe.gov.et
The move reflects the central bank’s ongoing strategy to inject foreign currency liquidity into the banking system while gradually improving the functioning of Ethiopia’s foreign exchange market.
The FX auction mechanism has become a key policy tool since the country began implementing broader foreign exchange and macroeconomic reforms, helping allocate scarce foreign currency more transparently among banks.
