Egypt transit trade jumps 35% in Q1 2026 on customs easing, infrastructure push

Speaking at a logistics conference organized by the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Kouchouk said the government is continuing efforts to streamline procedures to benefit from the country’s significant infrastructure expansion.

He noted that exceptional customs facilitations have been introduced to ease cross-border trade, including allowing the completion of customs procedures for transit shipments passing through ports without requiring prior registration under the Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system.

The ongoing regional escalation has turned the Strait of Hormuz from a strategic transit lane into a global risk premium machine: even the threat of closure can disrupt shipping, spike insurance costs, and push up energy and freight prices. In practical terms, markets are reacting not only to any actual blockade but also to uncertainty because vessels may reroute, pause, or avoid the strait altogether when the security situation deteriorates.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed the Gulf economies to consider other maritime alternatives, of which Egypt’s Suez Canal is a practical alternative.

During the event, Kouchouk noted that authorities have introduced multiple alternatives to cash guarantees to simplify procedures and reduce financial burdens on investors, to boost transit trade and reinforce Egypt’s ambitions to become a global logistics hub.