The rule in one sentence
Products on the Decree 43 list, imported for trade, are released only if they were made by a registered factory, or imported from a registered trademark owner or its registered distribution center.
The 25 product groups
The list attached to the decree, by group (each group is defined by specific HS codes in the decree):
- Milk and dairy products for retail (except infant milk)
- Preserved and dried fruit for retail
- Oils and fats for retail (packs up to 5 kg)
- Sugar confectionery
- Chocolate and cocoa food products for retail
- Pasta, cereal foods, bread and bakery products
- Fruit juices for retail
- Water, mineral water and soft drinks
- Cosmetics, oral care, deodorants, bath products and perfumes
- Soap and detergents for retail
- Tableware, cutlery and kitchen utensils
- Bathtubs, basins, toilet seats and similar sanitary ware
- Sanitary and cosmetic paper, diapers, towels and tablecloths
- Floor and wall tiles
- Glassware for table and kitchen
- Reinforcing steel
- Household appliances (cookers, refrigerators, air conditioners, fans, washing machines, water heaters, TVs and more)
- Home and office furniture
- Bicycles and motorcycles
- Watches
- Household lighting
- Children’s toys
- Clothing and fabrics (with listed exceptions)
- Carpets and floor and wall coverings
- Footwear
A separate list under Decree 44 of 2019 adds further products. Always check the HS code of your exact product against the current lists.
Documents for registering a factory
- Certificate of the factory’s legal status and its license
- Statement of the products made by the factory and their trademarks
- Trademarks produced under license from their owners
- A quality-control system certificate issued by a body recognized by ILAC or IAF, or another approved entity
Documents for a trademark owner
- Certificate of trademark registration and the products made under it
- Certificate naming the distribution centers authorized to supply the branded goods
- A quality-control system certificate from an ILAC- or IAF-recognized body, or another approved entity
How registration works now
- The application is submitted by the factory’s legal representative or an authorized agent, online or through the embassies and consulates of the country concerned
- Since Decree 195 of 2022, registration is made once complete documents are submitted, with proof of registration issued within 15 days
- Documents with expiry dates must be renewed within 30 days of expiry
- Registrations are published by ministerial decree in the Egyptian Gazette (Al-Waqa’i Al-Misriya)
- Complaints against refusal or cancellation are decided within 15 days
Before you pay a deposit
- Check whether your product’s HS code falls under Decree 43 or Decree 44
- Ask the supplier for its GOEIC registration and confirm it covers the exact factory and brand
- A trading company is not enough: the goods must come from the registered factory or brand owner
- Write the registration requirement into your contract or proforma invoice
Read more: How to verify a Chinese supplier
If your supplier is not registered
Registration takes preparation on the supplier’s side — legal documents, quality certificates, and authentication. Start early, or choose a supplier that is already registered. Ordering first and registering later risks goods waiting at the port.
With a team in China, Pacific can check a supplier’s GOEIC status on the ground before you commit — and help a new supplier prepare its registration file.
Sources
General guidance. Requirements vary by product, route, and date, so they are confirmed for each request.