Egypt has introduced exceptional customs facilitations to streamline the return of export shipments that fail to reach their final destinations, Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk said on Monday.
Kouchouk explained that export operations will be deemed incomplete in cases where vessels are forced to return without unloading their cargo or fail to exit Egypt’s territorial waters. In such instances, the returned shipments will be treated as domestic goods that never left the country, with previously submitted export declarations cancelled.
He added that exporters will be exempt from Advance Cargo Information (ACI) registration requirements, as these shipments will not be classified as foreign imports.
The Egyptian Customs Authority is also working to simplify procedures for returned consignments, including re-entry manifests, and to allow goods to be redirected to their original ports of departure.
Kouchouk noted that these measures form part of broader efforts to streamline trade procedures and support exporters, particularly in light of ongoing disruptions to regional shipping routes and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahmed Amwy, the chairperson of the Egyptian Customs Authority, said the facilitations will apply to shipments returned within two months of export, adding that priority clearance procedures will be granted to ease the burden on exporters.
