Egypt moves to standardise export, import data to sharpen economic policy

Egypt is moving to unify and audit official export and import figures as part of a push to strengthen data governance and improve the accuracy of trade statistics used in economic policymaking.

Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly oversaw the signing of two cooperation protocols on Wednesday bringing together key government bodies responsible for producing foreign trade data. The agreements aim to ensure consistency across official figures, raise data quality, and align Egypt’s trade statistics with international standards for calculating macroeconomic indicators.

The protocols were signed by senior officials from the General Organisation for Export and Import Control (GOEIC), the Egyptian Customs Authority, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), ministries of planning and petroleum.

The move builds on the work of two inter-ministerial committees formed by prime ministerial decrees in 2023 and 2024 to standardise export and import data across government bodies, with the planning ministry chairing the committees and CAPMAS acting as rapporteur.

Madbouly said creating a unified database for exports and imports would support Egypt’s shift towards higher value-added, tradable sectors, expand the export base and strengthen confidence in Egyptian products, while improving access to global markets amid ongoing structural reforms.

A unified database for exports and imports will also enhance macroeconomic stability by improving policy predictability, supporting targeted growth and boosting investor confidence, he added, while contributing to higher foreign-currency inflows.

Planning Minister Rania Al-Mashat said the agreements would ensure compliance with unified international statistical classifications covering exports, imports and re-exports, helping deliver accurate, integrated data to support informed decision-making and enhance transparency.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English