I. Overview

The Commodity Councils were established pursuant to Ministerial Decree No. 521 of 1997. Their designation was later amended to Export Councils under Ministerial Decree No. 543 of 2005. There are currently 14 Export Councils, whose members are appointed pursuant to a ministerial decree issued by the Minister responsible for foreign trade. These councils oversee the export of Egyptian products within their respective sectors. Their mandates, as well as the rules and regulations governing their operations, are set forth in ministerial decrees, the most recent of which is Ministerial Decree No. 148 of 2024 and its amendments.

The General Administration of Export Councils and Business Organizations, within the Agreements and Foreign Trade Sector, serves as the central liaison between the Ministry, the Export Councils, and the community of manufacturers and exporters. The Department is responsible for coordinating joint efforts and promoting cooperation among these stakeholders.

II. The Significance of Coordination and Integration

In line with the State’s directives to advance Egyptian exports, the Export Councils operate under the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade as an institutional framework that brings together exporters and producers. Their objective is to link production and export policies in order to develop Egyptian exports and enhance their competitive position.

This framework ensures coordination and integration between the community of manufacturers and exporters and the institutional body responsible for foreign trade policy, namely the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, through several mechanisms, including:

• Implementing the State’s plans for export development, increasing value added, and promoting the localization of domestic industries within each industrial sector.
• Preparing and formulating national export development strategies, and monitoring the achievement of their objectives.
• Participating in the development of legislation and the review of regulations governing foreign trade, and proposing the necessary amendments to enhance Egyptian exports, open new export markets for national products, and preserve traditional markets.
• Examining challenges facing the exporter community, developing proposals to address them, and submitting these proposals to the competent authorities in coordination and cooperation with business councils and organizations