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Egypt

Under George Bush’s administration, in 2003, the US Trade Representative is said to have ’punished’ Egypt by suspending all overtures towards an FTA when Egypt withdrew its support for a US dispute against the European Union on trade in genetically modified crops at the WTO. This lasted until late 2004, when the overtures started picking up again. However, the US froze FTA talks after allegations of fraud and corruption surrounding Egypt’s December 2005 elections and they have not restarted since.

In the meantime, the US brokered a deal between Egypt and Israel to set up a ’qualifying industrial zone’ between the two countries, which angered both Egyptians and Arab neighbours. In 2009, under Obama’s administration, US and Egyptian trade officials signed a Plan for a Strategic Partnership which pledged to follow “a program of intensified U.S.-Egyptian cooperation on economic, trade, and investment issues”. But there have been no substantive moves towards negotiating a bilateral FTA between the two countries.

The European Union has had a preferential trade agreement with Egypt since 2001, which it hopes to upgrade in the process of achieving a fullblown EU-Mediterranean FTA.

Egypt signed a bilateral FTA with Turkey in December 2005, and another with EFTA in 2007. In 2010 it signed an FTA with Mercosur. Regionally, it is party to the Agadir Agreement, GAFTA and COMESA. Cairo is currently negotiating or considering FTAs with Russia, India and Indonesia.

last update: May 2012
photo: Hossam el-Hamalawy/CC BY 2.0


Egypt to add more jobs, trade agreements in 2015
The Egyptian government expects to begin negotiations for free trade agreements with the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as with African economic blocs such as COMESA, SADEC and EALA, and to sign a deal with MERCOSUR in Latin America.
Egypt to hurt its economy by canceling trade agreement: Turkish Foreign Ministry
Egypt has decided not to extend a comprehensive free trade agreement signed with Turkey during the rule of the ousted ex-President Mohamed Morsi, the MENA news agency reported on Oct. 28.
Egypt eyes further economic ties with Brazil
Industry and Trade Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour said the Egyptian government is keen to activate the Egypt-Mercosur free trade agreement that Egypt has signed in 2010 with the Southern Common Market economic bloc.
Russia to boost agri-trade with Egypt after EU food ban
Russia will increase exports of wheat to Egypt and imports of other agriculture products from it, Russian officials said on Tuesday as the two countries discussed the potential for a free trade zone.
Egypt planning negotiations with Russia-led Customs Union over free trade zone
Egypt is exploring the possibility of negotiatng a free trade zone between Egypt and the countries of the Customs Union, which include Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Diplomats of Belarus, Egypt discuss FTA between Egypt and CU
Belarus’ Ambassador to Egypt Sergei Rachkov and Egypt’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Maghdi Radi have discussed a possibility to establish a free trade area (FTA) between Egypt and the Customs Union (CU) at a meeting in Egypt on 10 February, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.
Egypt ratifies a Free Trade Agreement with MERCOSUR
Egypt’s Ambassador delivered the original ratification document of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the Free Trade Agreement signed with the Mercosur on 2/8/2010 to the Secretariat of the organization.
Egypt endorses FTA agreement with Mercosur
Egypt has just endorsed the Free Trade Area agreement signed with the Mercosur (Southern American Common Market) on August 2, 2010, said Deputy Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Nazieh el-Nagari.
Egypt & Malaysia to start FTA talks
Egypt and Malaysia look forward to setting up a free trade zone to boost the weak trade exchanges between the countries having great economic potentials and huge consumer markets.
Egypt still considering free-trade zone with Gaza: Hamas official
While Palestinian Authority claims Cairo has ’given up’ on proposal for Egypt-Gaza free-trade zone, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau tells Ahram Online otherwise