Egypt decides to temporarily suspend some international companies from the list of companies approved to export to Egypt, the Trade Ministry said in a statement.
According to a document published on the official GOEIC website, over 800 companies have been suspended from importing their products. The list features a notable cast of brands such as Redbull, Nestle, Almarai, Mobaco Cottons, and Macro Pharmaceuticals.
Most notably, Unilever, a multinational corporation with over 400 brands, can also be found on GOEIC’s list. As a result, suspended imports on Unilever products include Vaseline, Signal, Sunsilk Persil, Dove, Lipton Tea, and Axe.
The ministry clarified in a statement that the decision was due to those firms failure to comply with factory registration requirements
The ministry’s General Organization for Export and Import Control (better known by its acronym, GOEIC) regularly reviews documents including quality certificates and trademarks, the ministry said, and companies whose documents have expired are given a two-week warning ahead of suspension decisions, the ministry said.
Some 122 companies have already submitted their updated documents since the beginning of the year, and are no longer suspended, according to the statement, while other companies manufacture their products in local factories and no longer need to export products to Egypt.
Imports from the mentioned companies are henceforth suspended until the renewal of their registration. Upon renewal of registration and proof of quality certifications, the suspended companies can resume importing their products. Understandably, products manufactured and traded within Egypt from the same companies are exempted from the suspension.
Most significantly, the amendment added that registration takes effect as soon as the completed documents are submitted within a period not exceeding 15 days.
Furthermore, registration documents can also be submitted through a company’s respective embassies and consulates. The amendment also highlighted that registration documents yet to expire can renew immediately as long as it occurs 30 days prior to the expiry date.
Back in 12 February 2022, Minister of Trade and Supply, Nevine Gamea, announced that the ministry is developing a new product examination system for GOEIC branches near trade zones, to accelerate the import process.
