Egypt’s Customs Authority has signed a cooperation agreement with the Export Credit Services (ECS) aimed at accelerating customs clearance procedures and strengthening verification processes for imported goods, as part of broader efforts to modernise trade facilitation and enhance the investment climate. Under the agreement, customs officials will deploy ECS systems to streamline clearance, drawing on advanced risk management tools and the organisation’s international network of producing and supplying companies.
The partnership will support automated verification and valuation of imports, reinforcing both pre- and post-arrival checks on commercial data, shipping documents and declared product values before shipments reach Egyptian ports. Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib, who attended the signing, said the initiative is designed to improve the accuracy of customs data, raise operational efficiency at ports and strengthen Egypt’s overall trade and investment ecosystem.
Officials described the deal as a key pillar of an upcoming package of customs facilitation measures yet to be formally unveiled. The agreement aligns with the government’s wider strategy to attract foreign investment and increase foreign currency inflows. Egypt is targeting annual foreign direct investment of $24.6 billion and aims to lift total exports to $145 billion by 2030.
In recent years, the Customs Authority has intensified efforts to shorten clearance times through digitalisation and enhanced risk assessment systems. These include the expansion of automation, AI-based classification tools and the Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system, which requires shipment data to be submitted electronically before departure for Egypt, enabling advance customs checks. Since its rollout at seaports in early 2024, around 2.5 million customs clearance certificates have been issued.
Despite these reforms, trade performance remains under strain. Official data show that trade declined by 27.6 per cent year on year to $3.3 billion in September 2025, even as exports rose by 28.2 per cent to $4.9 billion, highlighting the continued urgency of structural improvements in Egypt’s trade system.
