From 2017, foreign equity is allowed up to 49% in companies engaging in imports into Egypt. Moreover, the activities of commercial agents and intermediaries are reserved for companies where partners are either Egyptian nationals or Egyptian legal persons with majority Egyptian ownership. Previously, no foreign equity was allowed in companies engaging in importing activity and partners and directors of the partnerships, directors, chairmen and members of the boards of directors of associations had to be of Egyptian nationality.
On 29 October 2023, Egypt's Importer Registry Law No. 121/1982 was amended to allow companies fully owned by non-Egyptians to obtain importation licenses for trading. Previously, a 51% Egyptian ownership was required. Eligible companies must meet criteria including a minimum share capital of EGP 2,000,000, a minimum turnover of at least EGP 5,000,000 during the year preceding the application (as recorded in the tax return), and payment of an insurance amount of EGP 200,000. Importation licenses are issued for up to 10 years, renewable once for another 10 years with Cabinet approval [expired that period, it is assumed that the foreign investor must divest from its majority interest]. The activities of commercial agents and intermediaries remain reserved for companies with majority Egyptian ownership.
"(Article 1)
As an exception to the first paragraph of clause (II/e) of Article (2) of Law No. 121 of 1982 regarding the Importers' Register, joint stock companies or joint stock companies may be registered limited liability companies, limited liability companies or private companies whose whose partners' shares or quotas are not owned by Egyptians or are owned by Egyptians with a percentage less than (51%) in the importers' register, provided that the total period of registration in the register shall not exceed Ten years from the effective date of the provisions of this Law, which may be extended for only one term not exceeding ten years by a decision of the Council of Ministers based on the proposal of the Minister in charge of Foreign Trade Affairs.[...]" (Law No. 173 of 2023 amending the Importers Registry Law No. 121 of 1982 [google translation])
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"(Article 1)
The provisions of sections (b),(c),(d),(e) and (f) of Clause (1), sections (a), (b), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of Clause (2) of Article (2), sections (a) and (c) of Article (3), Article (6), Article (8), first section of Article (10) and Article (11) of the Importers' RecordLaw shall be replaced by the following:
Article (2):
Clause (1): regarding registration of the natural persons
(b) Shall be of Egyptian Nationality.
(c) Shall be practicing the commercial activities for at least two consecutive years prior to registration application. [...] 
Clause (2): Regarding Registration of Companies
(a) Shall be a company registered within the Commercial Register. Regarding the partnerships and limited liability companies, shall be registered for at least one year. In addition, the volume of business during the last year according to Tax Declaration provided to Tax Authority shall not be less than five million Egyptian Pounds. The companies which have Import Card at the time of application of the Executive Regulations of this law shall be exempted from the condition of the volume of business. 
(b) The headquarters of the company shall be in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the company shall be incorporated according to the provisions of the Egyptian laws. [...]
(e) the issued share capital of the Joint stock companies or companies limited by shares shall not be less than five million Egyptian Pounds, in addition, at least (51%) of the shares or stocks of the shareholders within the joint stock companies, the companies limited by shares, limited liability companies, or partnerships shall be held by Egyptian citizens. [...]
(f) The Company's manager in charge for importation shall be of Egyptian nationality. [...]" (Law No. 7 of 2017, Amendment of some provisions of Law No. 121 of 1982 Regarding the Importers Register (OG Vol. 9 bis (a), 7 March 2017), Article 1 [unofficial translation])
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"Article 1
No natural or legal person shall import goods for the purpose of trading unless registered in the importers register prepared for this by the competent authority in the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade in accordance with the provisions of this law and in the application of the provisions of the previous article, the import of goods by the commercial agent is considered an import for the purpose of trading.
Article 2
The person requesting to be registered in the importers register shall fulfill the following conditions:
First: Registration of natural persons: [...]
B. Shall be of Egyptian nationality. As for who acquired the Egyptian nationality, a period of no less than ten years shall be passed from the date of acquiring this nationality.
C. Shall practice commercial business for at least two consecutive years prior to the application for registration, [...]
Second: Registration for Companies
(a) The company shall be registered in the commercial register. As for partnerships, shall be registered for at least one year prior this. Companies holding an import card at the time of application of this law or with a capital not less than EGP 20000 (twenty thousand Egyptian pounds) shall be exempted from the condition of term.
(b) Headquarters of the company shall be in the Arab republic of Egypt. [...]
(e) the shares or stakes of the partners in the joint-stock companies and the limited partnership companies shall be owned by Egyptians, taking into account the lapse of a period of not less than ten years from the date of acquisition of the Egyptian citizenship.
(f) The partners and directors of the partnerships, directors, chairmen and members of the boards of directors of associations are of Egyptian nationality. For the ones who acquire the Egyptian nationality, a period of not less than ten years shall be passed from the date of acquiring this nationality. [...]
Limited liability companies are treated as partnerships in the field of enforcing this Law.[...]" (Law No. 121 of 1982 Regarding the Importers Register (OG Vol. 21 (a), 5 August 1982), Articles 1 and 2 [unofficial translation])
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"Article 1
A commercial agent is meant to be, in the field of applications of the provisions of this law, a natural or judicial person who usually, without being connected to a work contract or a Service rental contract, submit bids or conclude purchases, selling, rental or present services on behalf of producers, merchants, distributors for himself or for one of those aforementioned.
A commercial broker is the person whose activity is confined in searching for a contractor or who negotiates to persuade someone to make contract even if for one deal. Besides, a commercial broker is the one who carries out any works of commercial agency even if he is not accustomed to that or he did it for once or he is connected with a contract with the following producer, a merchant or a distributor.
[...]
Article 3
Without prejudice to provisions of law No. 34 of 1976, it is prohibited to carry out any business of the commercial agency or brokers, except for those whose name is registered in the register of commercial agents and brokers prepared for this in the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade. Those who will be registered in this record have to satisfy the following conditions:
First: as for the natural persons:
A. To be of Egyptian nationality. Those who acquired the Egyptian nationality, at least ten years must have passed since they acquired their Egyptian nationality.[...]
Second: with regard of companies' registration
A. The main headquarter of the company shall be in Egypt.
B. Carrying out works of agency and mediation business is to be among of its activities according to its main system or establishing contract.
C. The capital has to be owned completely to Egyptian partners taking into consideration that a time laps of ten years has passed since the acquisition of Egyptian nationality. If the partner is a juridical person, he must be of Egyptian nationality and most of the capital owned by Egyptians or a time laps of ten years has passed since their acquisition of the Egyptian nationality.
D. All Partners in joint liability companies, all managers or members of shareholder company council should satisfy the stipulated conditions in the first paragraph.
E. The capital of individual companies shall not be less than 20000 L.E according to the company's latest balance sheet delivered by the company to the tax authority as per the previous financial fiscal year or by submitting a certificate proving that this sum has been deposited in any of the accredited banks on starting the company's activities. Public sector companies shall be exempted from the conditions of (c) and (D) in case the import process is connected to its activity and limited liability companies will be treated as individual companies on applying the provision of this law.[...]" (Law No. 120 of 1982 Concerning the law of organizing commercial agency and Some commercial mediation businesses (26 July 1982), Articles 1 and 3 [unofficial translation])"
Law No. 173 of 2023 amending the Importers Registry Law No. 121 of 1982
Law No. 7 of 2017, Amendment of some provisions of Law No. 121 of 1982 Regarding the Importers Register (OG Vol. 9 bis (a), 7 March 2017)
Law No. 121 of 1982 Regarding the Importers Register (OG Vol. 21 (a), 5 August 1982)
Law No. 120 of 1982 Concerning the law of organizing commercial agency and Some commercial mediation businesses (26 July 1982)
[<a href="https://manshurat.org/content/stthn-qyd-bd-lshrkt-gyr-lmmlwk-llmsryyn-w-lmmlwk-lhm-bnsb-51-mn-bd-hkm-qnwn-sjl-lmstwrdyn">Law</a>],[<a href="https://www.goeic.gov.eg/upload/online/2017/10/documents/files/en/385.pdf">Law</a>],[<a href="https://www.goeic.gov.eg/upload/online/2017/10/documents/files/en/405.pdf">Law</a>],[<a href="https://www.goeic.gov.eg/upload/online/2017/10/documents/files/en/404.pdf">Law</a>],[<a href="https://insightplus.bakermckenzie.com/bm/international-commercial-trade/egypt-lifts-the-egyptian-ownership-requirement-for-importation-for-commercial-trading">Other</a>],[<a href="https://riad-riad.com/egypt-removes-restrictions-on-obtaining-importation-license/">Other</a>]