{"id":684659,"date":"2026-02-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/02\/01\/the-us-wants-american-companies-to-invest-in-egyptian-ports-but-geopolitics-not-economics-seems-to-be-driving-the-push\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T10:09:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T10:09:04","slug":"the-us-wants-american-companies-to-invest-in-egyptian-ports-but-geopolitics-not-economics-seems-to-be-driving-the-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/02\/01\/the-us-wants-american-companies-to-invest-in-egyptian-ports-but-geopolitics-not-economics-seems-to-be-driving-the-push\/","title":{"rendered":"The US wants American companies to invest in Egyptian ports, but geopolitics, not economics, seems to be driving the push."},"content":{"rendered":"

Mor<\/strong>ning all, an<\/strong>d<\/strong> welcome to a brand new month. <\/strong>We kick off the second month of the year with equal doses of caution and optimism. In today\u2019s issue, we\u2019ve got an exclusive that the Finance Ministry is mulling pressing pause on its plan to issue international bonds due to the recent uptick in global market volatility, while hot money inflows continue to rise.<\/p>\n

This morning\u2019s issue also sees our annual readers\u2019 poll officially brought out of <\/strong>retirement <\/strong>and rebadged as our annual EnterpriseAM Executive Sentiment Survey. Despite headwings, some 94% of you tell us that you see business conditions improving and you don\u2019t seem too bothered about the negative impacts of AI or the global trade war either.<\/p>\n

Also in today's issue is news that record tax gains were outpaced by debt interest<\/strong> increases in 1H 2025-26<\/strong>, a new EGX30 line-up, the first title insurance license approval, the expansion of the state\u2019s subsidized loan program for industry, and more.<\/p>\n

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WISH THIS MORNING\u2019S ISSUE was a podcast? We\u2019ve got you. Tap or click here<\/a><\/strong> to listen to Morning Drive, a 10-minute version of today\u2019s issue crafted for you to enjoy with your morning coffee, while getting the kids ready for school, or while stomping around the house wondering where the [redacted] you left your [redacted] reading glasses<\/strong>.
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Watch this space<\/p>\n

<\/a> LOGISTICS<\/strong> \u2014 The US wants American companies to invest in Egyptian <\/strong>ports, but geopolitics, not economics, seems to be driving the push.<\/strong> Once again, talk of US investment in Egypt\u2019s maritime infrastructure has been filtering through embassy and government statements, with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau discussing the topic with Industry Minister Kamel El Wazir during his visit to Egypt last week, according to a ministry statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reason? Washington\u2019s efforts to <\/strong>challenge China\u2019s presence<\/a><\/strong> in global waterways<\/strong>, in our view. Landau\u2019s comments \u2014 which follow a delegation of US companies led by Ambassador Herro Mustafa Garg<\/a> in September to \u201cexplore\u201d port investments and a joint briefing<\/a> in April to showcase the sector to investors \u2014 come amid Trump administration pressure on ports and waterways across the globe where China has a presence. The US alleges that China\u2019s foothold in maritime logistics erodes the neutrality of the nations hosting the projects, gives China extensive intelligence on US logistics and naval movement, and grants it the ability to leverage its assets to harm US interests, especially during a war.<\/p>\n

Securing US port investments may be Egypt\u2019s best play to avoid a more punitive approach<\/strong> from the US<\/strong>, as seen in Panama, where the Trump administration threatened to occupy the waterway and aggressively pushed for the takeover of Chinese-linked assets by groups including Blackrock. Washington has so far pushed Panama\u2019s supreme court to rule that concessions on the Panama Canal held by Chinese-linked firms were unconstitutional and exit China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative. A similar approach to Egypt would endanger the huge amounts of Chinese investments around the Suez Canal and the many more bns planned.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> TAX \u2014 The Finance Ministry is finalizing a tiered classification system <\/strong>for <\/strong>corporate taxpayers to extend tailored service packages<\/strong>, a senior government official tells EnterpriseAM. Companies will be grouped into platinum, gold, and silver categories based on a yet-to-be-confirmed set of criteria, but chief among them is compliance, our source tells us.<\/p>\n

What we know so far:<\/strong> The platinum tier will grant eligible companies 30 expedited services, including a fast-track VAT refund processed within a maximum of five working days instead of the current 22 days. Gold and silver tiers will grant scaled-down versions of these services based on governance rules currently being discussed and drafted.<\/p>\n

Why it matters: <\/strong>The classification system will operate alongside recent tax facilitation packages to improve collection efficiency and streamline administrative hurdles, our source says, supporting the state\u2019s target of raising tax revenues by 1-2% of GDP annually by 2030.<\/p>\n

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IPO WATCH<\/p>\n

Gourmet <\/strong>Egypt has priced its IPO at the top end of its range at EGP 6.90 per <\/strong>share<\/strong>, wrapping up its bookbuilding process that saw its private tranche oversubscribed 12.2x, according to an announcement (pdf)<\/a>. The offer price gives the premium grocer a market cap of EGP 2.76 bn. <\/p>\n

The subscription window for institutional investors closed on Thursday<\/strong>, while retail investors still have until Wednesday. We can expect trading to start \u201con or around Monday, 9 February.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gourmet listed on the EGX last month<\/strong>, under the ticker GOUR.CA.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis level of demand reflects Gourmet\u2019s solid market position<\/strong>, its commitment to quality, and its ability to meet the needs of premium, quality-conscious consumers,\u201d Gourmet Chairman Michael Wright said. <\/p>\n

Why it matters: <\/strong>A good IPO would prove the EGX is a real alternative to strategic sales for PE outfits facing pressure to return liquidity to their limited partners.<\/p>\n

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ADDING TO THE IPO PIPELINE- <\/strong>Tatweer <\/strong>Misr to IPO next year? <\/strong>Real estate developer Tatweer Misr aims to bolster its financial and operational position leading up to a listing on the EGX or the entry of a strategic investor by 2027 as part of a five-year plan, CEO Ahmed Shalaby told Asharq Business<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Expansion plans: <\/strong>The developer is currently in advanced negotiations over a piece of land in Oman, Shalaby said, adding that the company is also looking to acquire more plots locally. <\/p>\n

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Project update<\/p>\n

<\/a> The UK-based Polar Hydro hiked the price tag for its <\/strong>planned<\/a><\/strong>waste-to-energy project in Giza<\/a><\/strong> to USD 4.2 bn<\/strong> under an MoU inked to implement the project, according to an Environment Ministry statement<\/a>. The project to rehabilitate the old Shabramant dump, process at least 5k tons of waste per day, and convert accumulated waste into biofuels, fertilizers, and other export-oriented products under a private freezone model first came to our attention in December with a USD 2.5 bn investment ticket.<\/p>\n

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News triggers<\/p>\n

It\u2019s th<\/strong>e first week of February \u2014<\/strong> here are the key news triggers to keep your eyes on this month: <\/p>\n