Egypt is the largest and most economically diverse market in the Arab world. Dantful is your ideal freight forwarding partner to connect the two countries.

We offer highly competitive sea freight rates from any city in China to ports and airports in Egypt. As we have accumulated 10 years of experience

Asian market, we have spent a lot of time researching this topic and we have compiled everything you should know to master this topic. Whether you are a full fledged importer/exporter, or a novice in the field of international trade, this document will support you in upgrading or starting your shipping process.

Many factors relate to shipping from China to Egypt, including location, size, and mode of transportation: FCL by sea, LCL by sea, air, or express. We are explaining all procedures regarding the shipment of goods, but do not specify the type or size of goods you are willing to import or export. From small packages that fit in cardboard boxes, to tens of cubic meters that require multiple containers, we are explaining everything you need to know about the subject.

In this guide, we’ll see how perfectly you can implement or add to your import/export operation.

First, we will introduce you to the customs clearance process for products made in China in Egypt. Then, there will be a quick review of trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries. This will be followed by a discussion of the different ways of shipping goods from China to Egypt.

Can I be exempt from customs duties and taxes on imports from China to Egypt?

Egypt’s foreign trade has seen important developments in recent years, especially the revision of Egyptian customs legislation to facilitate the process of importing and exporting goods. Numerous regulations and decrees have been passed to improve inspection and control procedures, simplify documentation, reduce costs and delays, improve logistics, and facilitate trade flows.

China-egypt economic and trade cooperation has grown rapidly in recent years. Egypt is part of many regional and international trade agreements and initiatives, and joined the World Trade Organization in 1995, but there are no free trade agreements or agreements on trade in goods between China and Egypt, or there are plans to sign them.

As a result, you may not be able to obtain an exemption from tariffs when importing Chinese products in Egypt. The import process also consists of many steps and paperwork that needs to be handled. Our experience between the two countries allows us to provide fast and smooth customs clearance services in Egypt. If the energy and stress involved is too much to handle, you can ask us to take responsibility for you.

However, the average tariff rate for each item is 6.9%.

Necessary DOCUMENTATION

Dantful Note: You must understand the difference between an import license and an import declaration form before proceeding with any formalities.

Individuals may engage in the trade import industry subject to registration in the Register of Importers in accordance with the provisions of the Import Regulations promulgated by Ministerial Resolution No. 770/2005.

As a first step, the importer must register as a certified economic operator. In fact, Egyptian economic operators engaged in trade and distribution need to add import and export licenses to their trade registries in case they wish to expand their activities.

The period for obtaining a license is two days, and applications can be made to different agencies:

l General Bureau for Importers

l General Assembly export/Import Control

l Principal offices and approved ports (Alexandria, Port Said, Suez and Damietta)

Production and service companies can import the production needs needed to produce, operate, or provide services without registering with the importer registry

Import licenses are mandatory only for business/trade activities. As long as companies set up for production and service activities are importing for their own business activities, it is not necessary to obtain these licenses.

Before goods arrive

It can be processed at any customs logistics point (it does not have to be the same as the entry point of the goods) and all steps are taken in the same office of the customs authority.

The required documents are:

A statement by the importer requesting prejudgment:

Certificate of Origin: is an official document issued by a government or notary certifying that the goods being exchanged were made or manufactured in a particular part of a particular country. CO certifies the identity of your goods.

Bill of Lading: The Bill of lading is your cargo ID, which indicates all the information about the goods, as well as the payment made by the importer to the carrier, and the issuance of the LC (Letter of credit). An air waybill is exactly the same as a bill of lading, but issued for air cargo.

Commercial invoice with clear cargo description and HS code.

Packing list: Should indicate the International identification code (HS code) of your goods.

After reviewing the documentation, determine the duties and fees. Note: The item must be new and standard.

After paying the customs fee, the importer will receive a “release permit” which explains the monitoring quote and the required release conditions, accompanied by a stamped copy of the commercial invoice and package list, and an electronic copy of these documents will be sent to Customs at the port of arrival.

Upon arrival of the goods

It must be processed at the customs at the port of arrival and the importer must provide the following documents:

• Customs release permit.
• Shipping company delivers the original of the authorization.
• Original documents (commercial invoice, package list, Certificate of origin and any other accompanying certificates)
• Customs then specify the release path (green or red)

In the case of a green release path:

After completing the quote required to be monitored, the importer will receive a formal release permit stamped with the words “No objection to release.”

Accompanied by a copy of the commercial invoice and packing list, a copy of the release permit will be sent to the port of discharge for the release of the goods

Duties and taxes in Egypt

In Egypt, customs valuation is carried out in accordance with WTO agreements in the transaction value method (the actual value of the goods) plus all costs and expenses.

If the value is in foreign currency, it is estimated at the monthly exchange rate published by the Ministry of Finance.

Dantful Note: The presentation of certified documents does not mean that the Customs Department must accept the presented value as the transaction value. It has the right to request any additional documentation and has the right to ensure that the declared customs value of the elements is complete, correct, and represents the importer’s total payment to the supplier based on the actual documentation.

Tax Assessment Process

• Importers must accurately and transparently fill out the value declaration documents attached to the customs declaration to arrive at the correct value of the goods.
• Importers must provide original documents that reflect the data approved in the statement of value, such as: invoices, contracts and receipt price lists, etc., as well as other documents related to shipping, insurance charges and expenses.
• Customs reviews the documents submitted and ensures their adequacy in order to verify whether the transaction represents an actual sale and is intended for export to Egypt.
• Customs verifies the existence of actual documentation for shipping, insurance and unloading. If the transaction value is based on a FOB (free on board) situation, add a 5% percentage to the “FOB” value to reach the “CIF” (cost, insurance and freight) value.
• They then check the value of the item against the price information provided by Customs.

Customs Declaration 

Egypt’s General Customs Authority operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance and is responsible for customs clearance of goods destined for Egypt. Imported goods cannot legally enter Egypt until they have reached a port of entry and customs has allowed them to be delivered.

The goods will be logged in at customs and assigned a serial number or shipment entry number.

The Customs Accounting Committee calculates the fee to be paid for imported goods based on the CIF value. At this stage, Customs demands that customs duties, fee taxes, and VAT be paid from the “CIF” value:

• 1% administrative fee
• 1% income tax revenue
• 14% VAT
• Inspection and analysis fee (up to 10,000 Egyptian pounds / $635 per product)

Customs code

Every imported product should have an HS code, which is an internationally recognized code.

Like most countries, Egypt uses the Harmonized System of Tariff Designations (HS) to assign identification numbers to all goods. It is a framework of numbers and letters that assigns a unique combination to each product. The combination is called an HS code. All traded goods are assigned an HS code.

Prohibited and restricted items

• The livers of birds
• Asbestos of all types
• Asbestos brake pedals
• Pesticides and chemicals
• The intestines and limbs of poultry
• Tuna containing genetically engineered oils
• Goods marked as offensive to religious beliefs
• A two-stroke motorcycle not equipped with a fuel injection pump.

Sea freight to and from Egypt

Egypt is the 44th largest importer in the world. Among Egypt’s import sources, China ranks first ($8.07 billion), followed by Russia ($5.84 billion) and Germany ($3.45 billion)

The Egyptian economy benefits from an impressive array of assets: an ideal geographical location at the intersection of the Mediterranean, Africa, and the Near and Middle East. An internal market of 98 million consumers makes it an important platform for global and regional trade.

It has 2,450 km of coastline and two seafronts, one on the Mediterranean Sea and the other on the Red Sea. The Nile River, the country’s main source of life, runs 1,500 kilometers across Egypt, from the Sudanese border in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north.

Sea transport accounts for 90 percent of Egypt’s international trade. Egypt conducts almost all of its seaborne trade with the world through just 3 ports.

Maritime transport is one of the important sectors that has a profound impact on the national economy, and Egypt is one of the countries with the highest number of ports in the world, with 15 commercial seaports.

Sea Freight Rates

Sea freight has been very popular in the freight market. For shipping from China to Egypt, you can get competitive prices and reasonable transit times.

Shipping by sea has two major benefits: it is possible to transport a large number of products at a very affordable cost. If you need to ship multiple items on a regular basis, then this will be your best faraway deal.

As mentioned above, with Dantful Shipping, it is possible to offer all types of shipping services for all kinds of items, regardless of volume! We are very flexible and can perfectly meet all your requirements. The average transit time for transshipment goods from China to Egypt is 35 days.

Major ports

Ninety percent of Egypt’s international trade is transported through its ports. Here is a list of its major ports

Port Said Port

Port Said is the largest port in the world by port throughput and the second largest port in Egypt.

Port Said is one of the most important ports in Egypt due to its geographical location, at the entrance of the largest international shipping route (Suez Canal) and in the middle of the largest commercial shipping route connecting Europe and the east. In fact, it connects Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Located at the eastern entrance of the Suez Canal (north of the Gulf of Suez), Port Said covers an area of 3 square kilometers and is one of the largest container ports in the region.

Alexandria Port

Located at the western end of the Nile Delta between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mariut, Alexandria’s port is considered the main port of Egypt, with more than three-quarters of the country’s foreign trade passing through it, or 60% of Egypt’s international trade

One of the oldest ports in the world, with an area of 16 square kilometers and 20 specialized terminals (passenger transport, grain and oil, Neutralization (HPH) container terminals…) , consisting of two ports, East Port and West Port (commercial transport). The port is connected to the rest of Egypt by highway, storm water and air transport.

Port De Hela

Port De Hela is a natural extension of Alexandria (1986); Located 6 km from Alexandria, it has 6 docks.

Port of Suez (El Suweis)

The Suez Canal is one of the most used shipping routes in the world (8% of world seaborne trade). The Suez Canal is the shortest route between the Indian subcontinent, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and North Africa, with 1,411 ships transiting it every month.

Opened in 1989, it offers significant savings in transportation costs (time and logistics costs). This is an advantage as it is located at sea level (no need for doors…) , with quick access to Port Said.

Port Damietta

Damietta Port is one of the oldest ports in Egypt since the time of the Pharaohs.

The port is located on the Mediterranean Sea about 10.5 km west of Damietta tributary of the Nile, west of Ras Bar and about 70 km west of Port Said.

Damietta Seaport is one of the most important ports in Egypt and has become a destination for many mega-ships and modern people due to the development operations it has implemented.

Safaga Port

The port is a vast wooded area (natural bay) on the west coast of the Red Sea province, 60 km south of Hurghada and 225 nautical miles south of the Port of Suez.

Safaga Port is considered to be one of the oldest ports on the Red Sea and its real activity has been going on since 1911. It is the main port of Upper Egypt and caters to the import and export needs of Red Sea ports. Persian Gulf, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and the Far East.

Ain Sukhna Seaport

Ain Sukhna is a tourist, investment and industrial resort located along the coast of the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea, next to the Egyptian province of Suez. Located 55 km from the city of Suez, Ain Sukhna is one of the closest Red Sea resorts to Cairo (116 km).

Port of Sharm el-Sheikh

The importance of the port of Sharm el-Sheikh is evident in its excellent location for general tourism purposes, especially yacht tourism and sea sports, and as one of the seaports of the South Sinai Province.

Air freight to and from Egypt

International air cargo volumes have grown in recent years. The main feature of this type of transport is its high speed, making it an irreplaceable mode of transport for perishable products (fish, flowers, etc.) and high-value products.

The price of air freight is considered according to weight and volume. Air freight price

Air freight rates are based on the billed weight of your item.

The weight used to quote the air freight must be calculated using two different methods. The first is the gross weight and the second is the volume weight.

After the result is out, the highest weight value is retained, and the lowest weight value can be ignored.

Air transport time

It takes 1 day to get to Egypt from China.

It will take 7 days for the goods to be delivered to your address by ordinary air freight.

To receive your item faster (within 4 days), it is recommended to use Express Air (express). Major airports

In addition to sea transport, Egypt is connected to the rest of the world through its 14 international airports. But the most frequent and busiest in terms of passenger and cargo traffic in the country are:

Cairo International Airport:

It is an international airport, 22 kilometers from Cairo, the capital of Egypt, with an area of about 40 million square meters. In terms of congestion and passenger density, the airport is the second largest on the African continent.

Cairo airport is used by more than 74 commercial airlines and 21 air cargo companies.

With five cargo terminals, it handles about 400,000 tons a year, accounting for 60 percent of the country’s total exports.

Cairo Airport is the international gateway and the airport of Cairo. As an air freight company, we always aim to make the air freight process simple and simple with a serious working team.

Bogle El Arab International Airport (the second largest airport in Egypt) :

It is about 49 km from Alexandria and 14 km from the Arab New City of Bogle El. It was created to reduce the burden on Alexandria International Airport, whose corridors cannot accommodate large aircraft. To meet growing demand, Borg-Arabia made a major expansion of the airport’s passenger and cargo handling capacity.

On the other hand, more than 60 international airports are serving flights within China to other countries. China’s airports are among the busiest in the world, and they manage the world’s densest cargo volumes.

Egyptair Cargo is the only cargo airline that directly connects Egypt with China (via Beijing and Guangzhou); But many other international cargo airlines also operate weekly flights between the two countries.

Egypt Inland Freight

If your address is far from an Egyptian port or airport, you can request our trucking service for home delivery.

With our very dense network, Dantful can plan rail and road freight to almost anywhere in Egypt to transport goods within the country. No matter where you are, we can always find a way to reach you thanks to our multimodal transport platforms at Egyptian airports and ports.

Cargo Insurance

The risk of freight transportation is always a topic. Goods can face many risks while in transit and can be broken or stolen, damaged in natural disasters or delayed by strikes.

As with all industries, there is no such thing as zero risk, which is why Dantful works exclusively with the most trusted insurance companies in the industry to provide additional coverage for your cargo. Freight insurance allows you to get a full refund if your cargo is damaged or stolen.

Depending on the type of product you are shipping, you will be required to pay between 1 and 3% of the cargo + shipping value.

For this reason, it is recommended to purchase insurance. Only an insurance policy will guarantee the goods against all the risks associated with shipping and will allow you to get paid quickly in the event of a claim.

China and Egypt relations

Since the late 1970s, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Arab Republic of Egypt have been on a path of political and economic reconciliation.