Army Equipment in Egypt

Arabic labelling has to be applied in the factory, before the goods leave China. Finished goods for distribution and sale must be labelled in Arabic showing country of origin, the manufacturer's name and a product description, and the importer may not add labels after import. For tools and machinery the requirement goes further: an Arabic-language catalogue is needed, covering illustrated parts, assembly and operation, maintenance, electrical circuits and safety measures. Marked data must match the packaging, and origin must be marked non-erasably on each item. For a clothing or footwear programme this puts label artwork into the production schedule; for a metal detector or lighting unit it makes an Arabic manual a deliverable.

ACID, and everything matching it

Under Decree 38/2021 consignment documentation must pass through the NAFEZA single window 48 hours before arrival, obligatory for seaports since October 2021 and air freight from 1 January 2026. The importer registers on NAFEZA and generates a 19-digit ACID; the exporter files the ACI envelope through CargoX. The number must appear on the bill of lading, invoice, packing list and certificate of origin. Cargo arriving without a valid, matched ACID is refused release, and a mismatch between documents is as damaging as a missing number.

Consular legalisation still applies

The commercial invoice usually requires legalisation by the Egyptian consulate in the country of origin, and the certificate of origin must be authenticated by the same consulate. Egypt is not an Apostille state here, so the embassy route remains in force for Chinese documents and belongs in the production timetable.

Which way the payment regime is facing

The foreign-exchange rules have swung twice. In February 2022 the Central Bank halted documentary collections and required letters of credit, and goods sat at port for months; from October 2022 the requirement was cancelled and cash against documents allowed again. An LC, where used, must be 100% cash-covered by the importer. With the ACID rule alongside, collection terms with the ACID obtained before loading is what works today.

Conformity: do not over-promise

GOEIC enforces mandatory Egyptian standards. Foreign factory registration under Ministerial Decree 43/2016 covers an annex of 25 consumer goods categories that does not include this equipment. A Certificate of Inspection for regulated products is nevertheless issued per shipment by an accredited body, and published scopes refer to mechanical products on an include-but-not-limited-to basis. Whether a given tariff code sits in that bucket is unsettled, so confirm it per shipment rather than promising that nothing is needed.

For cargo from China routing to Cairo and Upper Egypt, Ain Sokhna and Adabiya on the Red Sea are the natural discharge; Alexandria and El Dekheila remain the Mediterranean gateway, where a dry port opened on 13 October 2026. Tenders run under Law 182 of 2018 through etenders.gov.eg, an Arabic interface requiring registration. Mains supply is 220 V, 50 Hz, on Type C and F outlets. What is covered by way of warranty, parts, installation and training is set by the supply contract and agreed before the proforma invoice is issued.