Disney lifts ban on merchandise manufactured in Egypt

The Disney company is lifting a ban on having its merchandise manufactured in Egypt, trade minister Tarik Kabil announced on Sunday.

Disney instituted the ban in February after a drop in Egypt's ratings in the worldwide governance indicator and the country not joining the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Better Work Programme, according to media reports.

Kabil said in press statements the lifting of the ban is due to the “unprecedented” economic and political reforms being executed in Egypt in coordination with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

"An upgrade by credit rating agencies has also helped in the successful completion of negotiations on the lifting of bans by international firms, including Disney," he added.

Egypt has been holding talks with Disney since March to lift the ban.

Kabil said that following the lifting of the ban, Egypt will be implementing in two stages the ILO’s Better Work Programme, which aims to "improve labour standards and competitiveness in global supply chains," according to the ILO’s official website.

The first stage, which will be implemented from July till December, will involve a continuous audit of Egyptian factories by the trade and industry ministry.