According to the new regulations that will come into effect on March 15, 2016, imported goods will not legally enter into the Egyptian market unless the merchandise is authorized by the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC).

In order to obtain authorization, importers are required to record the name of the manufacturer, as well as the corresponding trademark registration of the imported products at the GOEIC. This comes as a necessary step to ensure that the imported goods are not counterfeits.

It will be sufficient for importers of products with multiple entries per year to record of the name of the manufacturer and the trademark registration only once, unless the particulars of the manufacturer and/or the trademark registration have changed. Another recordal will be required in such a  case.

The requirements for the recordal are outlined in the table below.                                                                                                                        

Recordal of the name of the manufacturer

Recordal of the trademark registration

–          Certificate of incorporation  

–          List of the manufacturer’s products and trademarks

–          Certificate evidencing that the factory has a quality control system, issued from an authority recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), International Accreditation Forum (IAF), or any Egyptian or foreign authority approved by the Minister responsible for foreign trade

–          Certificate of trademark registration, local of foreign. The registration in the home country is preferable if owners opt for the submission of the foreign registration.

–          Certificate issued from the company owning the trademark regarding the distribution centers that are authorized to distribute the products bearing the trademark

–          Certificate evidencing that the company owning the trademark has a quality control system/quality assurance, issued from an authority recognized by ILAC, IAF, or any Egyptian or foreign authority approved by the Minister responsible for foreign trade

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