As of 1^st October 2021, the Egyptian authorities have entered into force the ‘Advanced Cargo Information System’. This means that EU exporters will now have to register on the CargoX-Platform (free of charge). Meanwhile, Egyptian Importers have to register on the NAFEZA-Portal, which is the Single Window System of Egyptian Customs.

Shipment data must be entered into the Nafeza Portal before shipment by the Egyptian importer. On the basis of the data entered, the Nafeza Portal will generate a so-called ACID-Number. This number will be automatically sent to the exporter and to the importer. The EU exporter must insert this ACID-Number onto all commercial documents which accompany the shipment (including Certificates of Origin). It is recommended that this ACID be entered into Box 4: Transport Details on the Certificates of Origin.

This process has been initiated so that authorities in Egypt can perform a risk assessment before the shipment arrives in Egyptian harbours. Upon arrival, clearance processes will hopefully be much quicker than in the past.

The German-Egyptian Chamber in Cairo is providing all information on the new requirement. They also have a very useful Q&A section on this change which can be accessed here.