El-Khatib outlines Egypt’s efforts to enhance trade, investment competitiveness

Updated 9/23/2025 8:12:00 AM

Arab Finance: Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib discussed enhancing trade and investment competitiveness with leaders of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, according to a statement.

This came during a meeting with Philippe Isler, Executive Director at Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, an affiliate of the WEF, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

El-Khatib highlighted the state's efforts to enhance trade and investment, outlining plans to position Egypt among the top 50 countries worldwide in trade competitiveness indicators.

The government has managed to reduce the time it takes for products to enter the local market from 16 days to 5.8 days, with a target to reduce time to just two days before the end of 2025, El-Khatib added.

He also announced a comprehensive package of 29 measures, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, to facilitate trade flow and boost Egypt's global trade competitiveness.

As for the National Trade Policy, the minister said the initiative serves as a strategic direction for trade at the local and international levels, aiming to promote trade, bolster export capacity, expand global market access, and diversify exports.

He elaborated that this policy offers a clear and stable business environment for local and foreign investors, supports local manufacturing, and maximizes added value to the economy.

In the same vein, the minister noted that the export burdens refund program represents a smart and flexible tool that responds to the needs of various export sectors.

The program was finalized and announced for the first time before the beginning of the fiscal year (FY) 2025/2026.

Regarding the trade remedies (subsidy, dumping, and safeguards), the minister affirmed that Egypt strengthened its role in trade defense to confront harmful practices targeting local industry, as the number of investigations has doubled this year compared to last year.

For their part, the attendees expressed their appreciation for Egypt’s efforts to enhance the business environment and attract investment, lauding the implemented initiatives and reforms.

They also showed their support for enabling the private sector to contribute effectively to the path of economic development within the framework of the World Economic Forum. This is in addition to expanding areas of cooperation in the coming period.