Non-Tariff Trade Barriers
The Egyptian Minister of Industry and Trade issued a series of ministerial decrees in 2015 and 2016 (991/2015, 992/2015, 43/2016) that came into full effect on March 16, 2016. These decrees introduced significant changes to the import clearance procedures. Factories, manufacturers, or trademark owners of regulated products must register with Egypt’s General Authority for Exports and Imports Control (GOEIC) to continue exporting to Egypt.
According to ministerial decree no. 43, exporters to Egypt of regulated products must fulfill the following conditions to be able to register with GOEIC:
For factories
The Registration form submitted by the legal representative of the factory, or whomever they delegate, or their agent, supported by the following notarized documents:
The legal identity of the factory, and the license issued for it.
List of the products of the factory and its trademarks.
The product trademark and the trademarks produced under license from their owners.
A certificate that the factory applies a quality control system issued from a recognized body certified by one of the accredited bodies from the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) or the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), or an Egyptian or Foreign governmental entity approved by the competent Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade.
For trademarks owners
The Registration form submitted by the legal representative of the company, the owner of the trademark, or whomever they delegate, or their agent, is supported by the following authenticated documents:
A certificate with the registration of the trademark and the products produced under it.
A certificate from the company -the owner of the mark- with the distribution centers allowed to supply the products of this mark to Egypt.
A certificate that the company –the owner of the trademark- applies a quality control system issued from a recognized body certified by one of the accredited bodies from the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), or an Egyptian or Foreign governmental entity approved by the competent Minister of Foreign Trade.
Food and food contact products must follow the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) conformity assessment program. NFSA is an independent authority established to protect consumers health and ensure that the food consumed, distributed, marketed, or produced in Egypt is of the highest safety and hygiene standards.
The Egyptian Parliament established the new National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) in January 2017. According to Article 3 (1) of 2017, NFSA has the authority to issue mandatory technical regulations governing food safety in accordance with the applicable international standards and in a manner consistent with the national requirements. There is a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) office at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo that can provide one-on-one counseling for U.S. exporters of food and beverage products.
Products for which registration is required:
Fruit, dried, other than that of headings 0801 to 0806; mixtures of nuts or dried fruits of this chapter (HS Code: 0813)
Peel of citrus fruit or melons (including watermelons), fresh, frozen, dried, or provisionally preserved in brine, in Sulphur water or in other preservative solutions (HS Code: 0814)
Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes (HS Code: 15)
Sugar and sugar confectionery (HS Code: 17)
Chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa (HS Code: 1806)
Preparations of cereals, flour, starch, or milk; pastrycooks’ products (HS Code: 19)
Fruit juices (including grapes) and vegetable juices, unfermented and not containing added spirit, whether containing added sugar or other sweetening matter (HS Code: 2009)
Waters, including natural or artificial mineral waters and aerated waters, not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavored; ice and snow (HS Code: 2201)
Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters, containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or flavored, and other non-alcoholic beverages, not including fruit or vegetable juices under heading 2009 (HS Code: 2202)
Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations (HS Code: 33)
Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles, and similar articles, modelling pastes, dental waxes, and dental preparations with a basis of plaster (HS Code: 34)
Baths, shower-baths, sinks, washbasins, bidets, lavatory pans, seats, and covers, flushing cisterns and similar sanitary ware, of plastics (HS Code: 3922)
Tableware, kitchenware, other household articles and hygienic or toilet articles, of plastics (HS Code: 924)
Tableware and kitchenware of wood (HS Code: 419)
Toilet or facial tissue stock, towel or napkin stock and similar paper of a kind used for household or sanitary purposes, cellulose wading, and webs of cellulose fibers, whether creped, crinkled, embossed, perforated, surface-colored, surface-decorated or printed, in rolls or sheets (HS Code: 803)
Carpets and other textile floor coverings (HS Code: 57)
Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted (HS Code: 61)
Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted (HS Code: 62)
Ceramic sinks, washbasins, washbasin pedestals, baths, bidets, water closet pans, flushing cisterns, urinals, and similar sanitary fixtures (HS Code: 6910)
Tableware, kitchenware, other household articles and toilet articles, of porcelain or china (HS Code: 6911)
Ceramic tableware, kitchenware, other household articles and toilet articles, other than of porcelain or china (HS Code: 6912)
Glassware of a kind used for table, kitchen, toilet, office, indoor decoration, or similar purposes (other than that under heading 7010 or 7018). (HS Code: 7013)
Table, kitchen or other household articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; iron or steel wool; pot scourers and scouring or polishing pads, gloves, and the like, of iron or steel (HS Code: 7323)
Table, kitchen or other household articles and parts thereof, of copper; pot scourers and scouring or polishing pads, gloves, and the like, of copper; sanitary ware and parts thereof, of copper (HS Code: 7418)
Table, kitchen or other household articles and parts thereof, of aluminum; pot scourers and scouring or polishing pads, gloves, and the like, of aluminum; sanitary ware and parts thereof, of aluminum (HS Code: 7615)
Spoons, forks, ladles, skimmers, cake-servers, fish-knives, butterknives, sugar tongs and similar kitchen or tableware (HS Code: 8215)
Filing cabinets, card-index cabinets, paper trays, paper rests, pen trays, office-stamp stands and similar office or desk equipment, of base metal, other than office furniture under heading 9403. (HS Code: 8304)
Fittings for loose-leaf binders or files, letter clips, letter corners, paper clips, indexing tags and similar office articles, of base metal; staples in strips (for example, for offices, upholstery, packaging), of base metal. (HS Code: 8305)
Electromechanical domestic appliances, with self-contained electric motor, other than vacuum cleaners under heading 8508. (HS Code: 8509)
Electric instantaneous or storage water heaters and immersion heaters; electric space-heating apparatus and soil-heating apparatus; electrothermic hairdressing apparatus (for example, hairdryers, hair curlers, curling tong heaters) and hand dryers; electric smoothing irons; other electrothermic appliances of a kind used for domestic purposes; electric heating resistors, other than those under heading 8545. (HS Code: 8516)
Motorcycles (including mopeds) and cycles fitted with an auxiliary motor, with or without sidecars, sidecars. (HS Code: 8711)
Bicycles and other cycles (including delivery tricycles) are not motorized. (HS Code: 8712)
Wristwatches, pocket-watches, and other watches, including stopwatches, with case of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal. (HS Code: 9101)
Wristwatches, pocket-watches, and other watches, including stopwatches, other than those under heading 9101. (HS Code: 9102)
Other furniture and parts thereof. (HS Code: 9403)
Lamps and lighting fittings including searchlights and spotlights and parts thereof, not elsewhere specified or included illuminated signs, illuminated nameplates and the like, having a permanently fixed light source, and parts thereof not elsewhere specified or included. (HS Code: 9405)
Toys, games, and sports requisites; parts and accessories thereof. (HS Code: 95)
Miscellaneous manufactured articles. (HS Code: 96)
The product manufacturer, trademark owner or its legal representative may submit the application for registration in person or pre-check it online (GOEIC). U.S. exporters are encouraged to apply in person, through a local representative, if necessary, to ensure proper submission of the required documentation. All documents submitted must be certified by the chamber of commerce at the location of issuance, legalized/notarized by the Egyptian Embassy in the country of origin and translated into Arabic. U.S. exporters must comply with all Egyptian laws and regulations to ensure customs clearance. Documents must be legalized at the local chamber of commerce, the U.S. Department of State, and the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C., or consulates in other locations. For more information on documentation and registration to comply with the decree please contact our office.
Useful Links
For more information and help with trade barriers please contact:
International Trade Administration, Enforcement and Compliance
Quality Certificate
Product registration requires a certificate to prove that the factory applies a quality system related to product quality, and this certificate shall be issued from a body recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) or the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), provided that the certificate shall be issued in English. Although there is no specific certificate as such, ISO 9001 remains the preferred quality certificate for GOEIC.
Bilateral Trade Agreement
Egypt and the United States do not have a bilateral trade agreement but annually hold a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) consultation to discuss a wide range of issues related to trade and investment. In addition, Egypt and the United States have a duty-free arrangement for products from Egypt’s Qualifying Industrial Zone (QIZ). The QIZ initiative allows firms operating within the QIZs to export products to the United States at a 10 percent duty rate if these products contain a minimum of 10.5 percent of Israeli inputs.
More details about Egypt’s multiple free trade agreements can be found on the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) website:
Service Barriers
General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) Commitments
GATS restricts foreign equity in construction and transport services to 49 percent. In the computer services sector, The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) can approve larger shares of foreign equity, for example when such services are an integral part of a larger business model and will “benefit the country.” Non-Egyptians are not permitted to make up more than 10 percent of any company’s workforce. However, companies established in free zones can employ up to 25 percent foreign employees. In computer-related services, 60 percent of top-level management must be Egyptian after three years of operation. Foreigners are permitted to acquire land in Egypt for commercial purposes under specific legal conditions. This includes properties used for licensed commercial activities such as offices, retail spaces, and mixed-use developments, as well as industrial land within designated investment zones and approved touristic areas. Commonly allowed regions include New Cairo, the New Admi
Courier and Express Delivery Services
Private courier and express delivery service suppliers seeking to operate in Egypt must receive special authorization from the Egyptian National Postal Organization (ENPO). In addition, although express delivery services constitute a separate for-profit, premium delivery market, private express operators are required to pay ENPO a “postal agency fee” of 10 percent of annual revenue from shipments under 20 kilograms. In 2010, ENPO requested private courier and express delivery services to pay a fee of five Egyptian pounds ($0.83) on each imported consignment under 20 kilograms.
Civil Aviation Decree 607/2015 requires all courier and express delivery services to have at least 51 percent Egyptian ownership. Currently, several U.S. and European courier services operate in Egypt.
Transportation
Maritime transportation: The Egyptian private sector conducts most maritime cargo activities, such as loading, supplying, ship repairs, and container handling. Ninety percent of Egyptian trade moves through its seaports. Egypt has 43 ports: 15 commercial ports and 28 specialized ports. 11 serve the petroleum industry, nine serve the mining industry, five serve the tourism industry, and six are used for commercial fishing. Seaports are located on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The Port of Alexandria handles about 65 percent of Egypt’s trade.
Air Transport: The 1964 U.S.-Egypt Air Transport Agreement remains restrictive and has no provisions for charter services. Private and foreign air carriers require the approval of EgyptAir, the national carrier, to operate charter flights to and from Cairo.
EgyptAir joined the Star Alliance in July 2008. EgyptAir operates direct flights between Cairo International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, Dulles Airport in Washington, DC, and Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey. Other direct flights are planned for Los Angeles. EgyptAir also offers a wide range of direct flights to neighboring Gulf countries, Europe, Turkey, and some Asian countries.
Cargo Transport: A dedicated air-cargo facility at Cairo International Airport serves as the main provider of airfreight services in the country. Five cargo terminals handle around 400,000 tons of cargo each year, 60 percent of which are exports from Egypt. In 2023, the United States allowed EgyptAir to restart cargo flights to the United States; its cargo flights had previously been suspended for over eight years. The resumption of cargo flights came after a thorough inspection and review of security measures from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. As of 2024, there are direct cargo flights between Cairo and New York.
Plans are underway to further expand cargo services. In October 2023, the Egyptian government signed a framework agreement with China’s Gezhouba Group to upgrade and expand Cairo Cargo City at Cairo International Airport. The project is designed to double the volume of goods transported, positioning Egypt as a regional logistics hub and enhancing its role in global supply chains. This is part of a broader effort to modernize Cairo International Airport. However, the focus now is more on upgrading the airport and the cargo city is more of an initiative and still under study.
Other Services Barriers
Foreign motion pictures are subject to a screen quota. The distribution process requires films to obtain a general screening permit from the Censorship Authority. Distributors hold screenings for the Censorship Authority, which provide approval or comments on the spot after viewing the film. They may request edits or refuse release based on subjective evaluations of cultural suitability. Additionally, the Supreme Media Council has the authority to block content, including online platforms, if it violates public morals or religious beliefs, as clarified by a 2021 administrative court ruling. The Child Law No. 12 of 1996 further restricts content for audiences under 16, prohibiting material with intense violence, crimes, or sexual content, and imposes fines for violations.
Egyptian labor law restricts foreign nationals from working in certain professions reserved exclusively for Egyptian citizens. These include roles such as customs clearance officers for import and export operations and licensed tourist guides. Foreigners are generally prohibited from practicing law within the Egyptian legal system, working in government or public sector jobs, serving in security-sensitive roles, engaging in journalism for Egyptian outlets, and performing labor related to agricultural land ownership. Employers must adhere to national workforce quotas, where foreign workers may not exceed 10 percent of the total staff and their salaries are capped at 20 percent of the overall payroll, unless exemptions are granted. These limitations reflect Egypt’s policy of safeguarding employment for its citizens and maintaining national oversight over strategic sectors.
Investment Barriers
Under the 1986 United States-Egypt Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), Egypt is committed to maintaining an open investment regime. The BIT requires Egypt to accord national and Most-Favored Nation (MFN) treatment (with certain exceptions) to U.S. investors to allow investors to make financial transfers freely and promptly and to adhere to international standards for expropriation and compensation. The BIT provides outlines for binding international arbitration of certain disputes. Despite these assurances, in recent years U.S. investors, including American companies operating in Egypt, have been unable to repatriate profits earned in Egypt.
Based on a review of Egypt’s investment policies, the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) invited Egypt to join the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises. Egypt signed the Declaration in 2007, becoming the first Arab and first African country to join. During this process, Egypt agreed to review the restrictions on investors identified in the OECD’s 2007 Investment Policy Review of Egypt, including certain limits in the tourism sector, resulting in the following adjustments:
In January 2021, Egypt removed a 20 percent cap on foreign ownership in international and private schools.
In 2024, the amended Importers’ Registry Law lifted the 51 percent Egyptian-ownership requirement, allowing majority foreign ownership in import activities
Other Barriers
Pharmaceutical Price Controls
In 2012, Decree number 373 of 2009 was replaced by a new pricing decree 499 using the external reference pricing (ERP): prices for innovator drugs are set based on the lowest price among a basket of approximately 36 reference countries with an increase of the pharmacy and distribution margins deducted from the ex-factory prices. The decree remains in force, although the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) only enforces the reference pricing elements of the decree. The EDA has not implemented pricing adjustments based on exchange rate fluctuations. Pharmaceutical companies have only implemented the pharmacy or dealer compensation elements of the decree on products that enjoyed a price increase, instead of the whole market. Pharmaceutical companies are actively engaged with the Ministry of Health and Population and are seeking the revision of certain “reference pricing” elements of Decree 499.
Sanitary/Phytosanitary Standards
Egypt has a complex array of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and quality standards regulating its food imports. Inspection and testing procedures are often opaque. Its SPS and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) measures are frequently out of compliance with Egypt’s WTO obligations and impede market access. U.S. poultry parts and offal, beef and beef products, and seed potato exports are impacted. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) office at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo covers food and beverage exports to Egypt. FAS staff can provide one-on-one assistance to American companies.
Anticompetitive Practices
Under Egyptian competition law, a company holding 25 percent or more market share of a given sector may be subject to investigation if suspected of illegal or unfair market practices. The law is implemented by the Egyptian Competition Authority, which reports to the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Investment. However, the law does not apply to utilities and infrastructure projects, which other governmental entities regulate.
In 2008, Law 3 of 2005 on Protection of Competition and Prohibition of Monopolistic Practices was amended to set a minimum fine for monopolistic business practices at 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($5,500) and the maximum at 300 million Egyptian pounds ($16 million). It also provides for doubling the penalty in cases where violations are repeated.