TRADE-

Egypt dropped plans to impose a halal certification requirement on dairy imports from the UK, averting a potential trade barrier that would have come into effect in January 2026, the UK’s Department for Business and Trade said in a statement. The move will butter up an estimated GBP 250 mn in UK dairy exports over five years, cutting red tape and cost burdens — all gouda news for British exporters of cheese, butter, and milk powder.

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The proposed halal certification requirement would have added over GBP 1k in fees per shipment, the government department claims. UK dairy imports into Egypt totalled USD 26 mn in 2024, but this move provides more market certainty that could lead to an uptick in imports from UK producers.

The move is part of a wider shift in Egypt’s halal certification policy. The certification policy on dairy products was a precautionary measure, and its removal would help reduce import costs, cabinet spokesman Mohamed El Homsani previously said in May. His comments followed Egypt permanently exempting US-made dairy products from halal certification — a long-standing ask by American exporters — and moved to cut halal certification fees by 30-50%.

TRANSPORT-

The National Authority for Tunnels plans to spend EGP 15 bn to revamp the Cairo Metro Line 2 over five years, Asharq Business reports, citing unnamed government sources. The project will be offered to local companies to work on upgrading the 21.6-km line, including installing platform screen doors, modernizing station facilities, renewing railway tracks, and upgrading elevators and internal drainage systems across its 20 stations.

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