Egypt adopts flexible export promotion plans compatible with global market changes

Saudi Arabia top destination for Egyptian food products in 2020

Egypt’s Food Export Council to participate in APAS exhibit next year

Promising chances in German market, as frozen demand for vegetables on rise

The Food Export Council has laid marketing and promotional plans, more adaptable to the recent changes the world is seeing at present. The Council also is monitoring and evaluating results and trying to clear impediments that could affect exports flow, as it focuses on certain countries and markets to expand exports.

Food Export Council’s Executive Director, May Khairy, said that the Council aims to benefit from commercial agreements that grant some competition edge for Egypt’s products in a number of markets, including the Brazilian market which is one of most prominent markets the Council focuses on.

Khairy also talked about the Council’s perspective to use the full potential of the Southern Common Market or “Mercosur” agreement with South America countries, as the Council held introductory seminars about the agreement and products under tariffs exemptions at present. The seminars were held in coordination with Egyptian Commercial Service and Brazilian Embassy in Cairo.

The start came with the Brazilian market as it one of most important markets for Egyptian products, she added, with shedding light on commodity lists that under exemption effect 100% or other lists that enjoy increasing partial exemptions. 

“We’ve conducted study about the food industry market in Brazil, especially the most important food products with similar equivalents at Egyptian exports body regarding exports to Brazil,” she said.  

In 2018, the Food Export Council organized a commercial delegation to Brazil on the sidelines of APAS, with 12 company FEC’s members participating, they met with most prominent companies and market chains in Brazil, where they took a closer look at Brazilian market and variant consumption trends. 

Khairy also revealed that the Council intends to participate at APAS 2022, as it makes plans for promotional campaigns to the Egyptian products that have gained traction in South America; expanding knowledge of Egyptian products and rising presence at these important markets.

“We aim to improve food products exports at a number of targeted markets, including Tanzania, Sudan, Madagascar, Ghana, Rwanda, Burundi, China, Qatar, Oman, USA, Germany, France, Russia, Brazil, Japan, and Gulf markets,” she added.

The most prominent markets that recorded high growth hikes last year include: Algiers, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq, Brazil, Syria, India, China, Netherlands, Germany, and the UK.

She added that Saudi Arabia was the top Egyptian food products importer, followed by the UAE, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Libya, Algiers, and the USA.”

When it comes to largest exports, she said, 10 Egyptian products are soda beverages, frozen vegetables, base malts, tobacco and tobacco recreational replacements, pasta, graces products, albumen materials, and dairy products.

She noted that there's a good chance for Egyptian food exports in German market as it is a large, highly competitive market where more than 82m people and it enjoys high median income, also it expands along a vast geographical area.

Khairy says what makes German market so special is its high variety of demographics segments. It comes also as the food industry is the 4th largest industry in the country. In 2019, it presented nearly €185.3 billion.

She noted that there’s a good chance for Egyptian products with high nutrition value (Superfoods), and organic products.

Germany is considered the 3rd largest food and agricultural products importer and exporter globally, with fruit and vegetable presents about 27% of whole Egyptian exports to the country’s market.

Egypt came at 2nd place regarding frozen strawberry exports to Germany in 2019, after it was at first place in 2017.  Egypt came at 3rd place in 2019, rising from 5th place in 2018, as regarding canned artichoke.