On April 17, the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry announced that more than 800 foreign companies’ products would not be allowed to import, due to the Order No. 43 of 2016 on the registration of foreign factories.

Order No.43: manufacturers or trademark owners of goods must register with the General Administration of Import and Export Control (GOEIC) under the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry before they can export their products to Egypt. The commodities stipulated in Order No. 43 that must be imported from registered companies mainly include dairy products, edible oil, sugar, carpets, textiles and clothing, furniture, household lamps, children’s toys, home appliances, cosmetics, kitchenware…. Currently, Egypt has suspended the import of products from more than 800 companies until their registration is renewed. Once these companies renew their registration and provide quality certification, they can resume exporting goods to the Egyptian market. Of course, products produced and traded in Egypt by the same company are not subject to this order.

The list of companies suspended from importing their products includes well-known brands such as Red Bull, Nestlé, Almarai, Mobacocotton and Macro Pharmaceuticals.

It is worth noting that Unilever, a multinational company that exports more than 400 of its branded products to Egypt, is also on the list. According to Egypt Street, Unilever quickly issued a statement saying that the company’s production and commercial activities, whether import or export, are being carried out in a normal and orderly manner in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations in Egypt.

Unilever further emphasized that, according to Order No. 43 of 2016, it has stopped importing products that do not require registration, such as Lipton that is entirely produced in Egypt and not imported.