The Investment Ministry has finalized the country’s new trade policy document — seen by EnterpriseAM — aimed at crafting policies that deepen local manufacturing and reducing imports of intermediate and capital goods, while expanding exports of goods with comparative advantages — in line with the government’s plan to double exports.

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Breaking down our imports: Egypt’s imports are dominated by engineering and electronic goods, which reached USD 24 bn in 2024. They were followed by chemical products, fertilizers, and building materials. Agricultural imports also held a significant share of our imports for the year — between USD 9–12 bn — driven by higher imports of grains and other food commodities. Our imports come in from the UE, China, Arab countries, and the US, while trade with Africa remains limited, highlighting untapped markets, a concentration of trade partners, and dependence on a narrow supplier base.

The document calls for coordination among various policies — including trade, industrial, fiscal, and monetary policies — under a comprehensive national program to support Egyptian exports. This includes strengthening the production base, expanding export capacity, and increasing the added value of Egyptian products— all to balance trade and sustainably reduce the trade deficit.

It additionally highlights aligning trade policy with production, social, and environmental policies through a package of incentives and reforms. Linking investment and trade is also essential to address structural imbalances in the trade balance and to open up to new markets.

The policy focuses on securing supply chains through offering preferential prices and terms, by maximizing the benefits of all trade agreements and engaging in dialogue with international patterns, the document highlights.

The new framework seeks to replace trade restrictions with structural reforms, in a bid to improve the efficiency of supply chains and trade-related logistics, as well as reducing customs clearance times.

ICYMI- The Finance Ministry recently finalized a package of custom facilities, that includes launching a new pricing platform for frequently imported goods, enabling six-month installment payments for customs duties, and postponing customs duty collection via the Nafeza system until goods arrive.

What’s next? The new trade policy document will be shared with the business community and relevant stakeholders to incorporate their technical feedback and ensure a clear and comprehensive policy.

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