The Egyptian government is rapidly clearing customs for strategic items and production supplies in order to facilitate trade and boost the national economy. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait emphasized the importance of speeding up the customs clearance process for essential goods such as pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, and fuel to support national industry and ensure the availability of key commodities in the local markets. From January 2023 to mid-October of this year, goods worth $56.7 billion were cleared from customs, with strategic items accounting for $15.1 billion and production supplies and services for $26.2 billion. This effort aims to reduce clearance time, lower import and export costs, and promote investment amid global economic challenges.
To simplify customs procedures, the government has established permanent committees and technical support teams at different ports and terminals. These measures further affirm the government’s commitment to establishing Egypt as a regional hub for transit trade and increasing exports. The recent amendments to the executive regulations of the Customs Law aim to enhance governance and streamline customs procedures. Al-Shahat Ghaturi, the head of the Customs Authority, highlighted the success of implementing the unified platform “Nafeza,” electronic connectivity across all ports, logistical centers for customs services, pre-registration systems for shipments, and advanced technology. These advancements have significantly reduced the average customs clearance time and improved dealings with the customs system, positioning Egypt as a prominent global trade hub.
