Discussion on Barriers to Market Access in Egypt and Tunisia

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) at AIDA CCI, in partnership with the DGAE – Directorate-General for Economic Activities, informs that the next meeting of the Market Access Advisory Committee (MAAC) will discuss the issue of access to the markets of Egypt and Tunisia.

Trade Barriers by Country

Egypt

Currently, 7 active barriers have been identified for accessing the Egyptian market, formalized on the EU Portal – Access2Markets. These barriers affect the following economic sectors:

• Agriculture and Fisheries
• Wood and Paper
• Horizontal barriers, including:
  • Procedures for company registration;
  • Banking conditions for imports;
  • Customs obstacles.

Additionally, a specific barrier is highlighted concerning the refusal to import beech wood and whey permeate due to radioactivity levels, without adequate documentary evidence from the Egyptian authorities.

Tunisia

Tunisia also has 7 active barriers, affecting various economic sectors, namely:

• Agriculture and Fisheries
• Chemicals
• Cosmetics
• Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
• Other Machinery
• Pharmaceuticals
• Textiles and Leather
• Horizontal barriers, such as:
  • Requirements for the import of goods;
  • Non-automatic import licenses.

Among the documented barriers are customs procedures and excessive taxation on imports, as well as high tariffs on products considered “non-essential”, affecting sectors like chemicals, cosmetics, textiles, and agriculture.

Consultation and Participation of National Companies

Detailed information on these barriers can be consulted on the EU Portal – Access2Markets.

In this context, we call for the collaboration of national companies, requesting information on:

1. The impact of the aforementioned barriers on ongoing business activities;
2. Other persistent difficulties in accessing these markets that have not yet been formally identified.

The collection of this information will strengthen the approach with the European Commission, aiming for the possible removal or mitigation of existing obstacles.

Deadlines and Contact

Responses should be sent by 1:00 PM on February 14, 2025.

We thank you in advance for your collaboration and remain available for any further clarification.

Deolinda Costa – d.costa@aida.pt
Phone: +351 234 302 493
Fax: +351 234 302 499
Website: www.aida.pt

If you wish to know the barriers by country, visit this link.

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