Horses, mules, and donkeys, honey, spices, livestock, cigarettes. Transit trade from Sudan to Abyssinia played a significant role in the commercial movement between them due to Abyssinia's lack of direct sea access. There was also re-export trade, including goods such as fuel, cement, equipment and machinery, chemical and medical materials, machines and motors. Despite this, the trade balance almost always favored Abyssinia, with its exports to Sudan exceeding its imports, thanks to the commodity of coffee.

- The struggle for Menelik's succession: Menelik was known for his direct supervision of all affairs of the empire he built. Therefore, his absence occupied the minds of his citizens and European countries alike. This concern continued throughout the Emperor's illness, which lasted from 1906 until his death in 1913. Although the empire was based on what could be considered a type of decentralization, especially after the increased use of the telephone, Menelik remained in almost daily direct contact with the rulers of his provinces.

In 1906, when Menelik was 62 years old, he suffered his first stroke. In the same year, the most likely candidate for his succession, Ras Makonnen, son of Emperor Mikael, his right-hand man in military and political affairs, and ruler of his wealthiest province, Harar, died. In the same year, he also lost the services of his foreign affairs advisor, Alfred Ilg, a Swiss engineer who joined Menelik's service when the latter was governor of the province of Shewa in the late 1880s and spoke French, German, Arabic, and Amharic.

Despite his large physique, the stroke began to affect Menelik, and signs of early dementia and memory loss appeared. He resorted to establishing a council of ministers in 1913 to ensure the continuity of unified and stable rule and government. However, the concern and fear of foreign missions, especially European ones, were too great to hide. They resorted to consolidating the headquarters of their missions in one area and intensified their guard.

During his illness, the only candidate was his grandson, Lij Iyasu. Although the Emperor chose him, he refrained from announcing it, perhaps due to his young age, as he was eleven years old, or out of fear that announcing his candidacy would reduce his chances of taking the throne.