Egypt establishes its first e-system tracking goods until customs release

Egypt’s Ministry of Finance revealed the establishment of an electronic system to track goods until the final customs release stage, for the first time in Egypt, Daily News cited Head of Egypt’s Customs Authority El-Shahat Ghaturi.

Ghaturi said that the customs administration system in Egypt is witnessing the largest development revolution during the era of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

He added that the new customs law provides the legislative cover for many global customs practices, as it gives legal authenticity to electronic documents.

He further noted that now customs with goods contracted with the modern e-commerce system, with the possibility of pre-clearance customs duties before the arrival of goods, and allowing the exchange of electronically secured information and data between the customs authority and state agencies.

Ghaturi pointed out that an advanced risk management system is being implemented, in line with the latest global best practices.

“It will enter into actual implementation at the beginning of next year, which leads to the release of goods without inspection through the green path, in accordance with the established controls in order to simplify procedures and speed up customs release,” Ghaturi stated.

He expressed that the new law aims to encourage the national industry, reduce the cost of local production and maximize its competitiveness in global markets.

The new law allows the payment of customs duties in instalments, for equipment, devices, production lines and supplies that do not enjoy any exemptions or reductions in customs tariffs.

At the time 88,000 customs declarations were put through this unified electronic platform, which rose to 619,000 customs declarations during 2021.

This system now covers 95% of Egypt’s imports and exports, and importers can submit documents electronically through a mobile application, and track goods until the final release stage as well.

More than 50,000 foreign exporters have been registered on the CargoX platform, 11,000 Egyptian importers have also been registered on the CargoX platform, and more than 80,000 ACI numbers have been issued so far.