Egypt Grants New Grace Periods for Delayed Industrial Projects and Tightens the Rules on Industrial Land Minister of Industry Decision No. 171 of 2026 Cairo, August 2026 …
The Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade has issued Decree No. 346 of 2026, imposing an export duty of EGP 5,000 per ton on waste, parings and scrap of rubber under customs heading 4004.00, with the exception of powders and granules. The Decree was issued on 10 August 2026 and published in the Official Gazette, Issue No. 181 (supplement), of 19 August 2026, and it applies for a period of one year beginning the day after publication.
Under Article 2, the duty does not apply to consignments sent to productive projects established in free zones within Egypt, provided the quantities remain within those approved by the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones. The Egyptian Customs Authority has circulated the Decree to all customs points for implementation under Tariff Circular No. 49 of 2026.
Exporters and freight forwarders with rubber scrap cargo already contracted or in transit will want to look closely at their pricing basis, at how duties and taxes are allocated between seller and buyer, and at whether their sale and carriage contracts contain change in law provisions capable of absorbing a charge of this size. Where reliance is placed on the exclusion for powders and granules, product specifications and supporting documentation should be reviewed carefully in advance, since that exclusion is the natural point at which classification will be tested at the port.
By a separate circular, Tariff Circular No. 50 of 2026, the Customs Authority has distributed the Arabic translation of the classification opinions adopted at the 77th session of the Harmonized System Committee of the World Customs Organization. Fifteen products are covered, among them whey protein powder (1806.20), mushroom soy sauce (2103.10), polymer modified bitumen (2715.00), PVC decor film (3920.49), swaddle sets (6307.90), washable nappies and their inserts (9619.00), cold rolled stainless steel wire wound on drums (7223.00), remote radio units (8517.79), multiple socket adaptors (8536.69), power strips and cable reels (8544.42), and articulated dump trucks (8704.10). These opinions are now to be applied by customs officers across all customs points, and importers of the affected goods may wish to review the headings under which they currently declare.
Eldib & Co has advised on Egyptian customs, trade and shipping matters since 1875 and acts for importers, exporters, carriers and their insurers across the region. Our Shipping, Transport and Logistics team is available to advise on the impact of the Decree on existing contracts and on classification and tariff disputes at the ports.
For further information, please contact:
Mohamed Eldib, Partner, [email protected]
Ahmed Serry, Associate, [email protected]
