Egypt Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in egypt, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Prohibited & Restricted Imports
Last published date:

Prohibited Goods:

  • Items offensive to religious beliefs

  • Asbestos and asbestos brake pads

  • Tuna with genetically modified oils

  • Certain pesticides and chemicals

  • Poultry parts and offal

  • Two-stroke motorcycles
     

More information on prohibited imports:
 

Vehicles

  • Used vehicles generally banned (allowed only if <1 year old).

  • Electric vehicles are exempt from tariffs (Decree 419/2018).

  • Ban on motorcycle CBUs remains.

  • Although the Government of Egypt announced that Egypt accepts U.S. auto standards, this has not been implemented.


Food and Agriculture

  • Poultry: Egypt’s Ministerial Decree No. 766 of 2006 lifted the ban on imports of frozen whole birds from all origins, but the decree does not reference the import of poultry parts and offal as being permissible, so a de facto ban on these products remains. In 2022, Egypt began allowing shipments of chicken leg quarters from the United States on a limited basis.

  • Seed Potatoes: Only California-approved; other states still pending.
     

Medical Equipment

  • Ban on used/refurbished imports.

  • New equipment must:

  • Be certified safe in country of origin.

  • Have an FDA/EU standard approval.

  • Be accompanied by proof of after-sales service availability.


Pharmaceuticals & Supplements

  • Managed by the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA).

  • Multivitamins and supplements may now be approved for import as finished goods.


Used/Refurbished Products

  • Generally restricted. For example, used computers older than five years are banned.

  • Contact the U.S. Embassy in Egypt’s Commercial Section (FCS) for clarification on specific items.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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