In the latest development with the customs department in Egypt, the Egyptian customs have introduced "Advanced Cargo Information (ACI)”, a new electronic system for the pre-registration of shipment information.

This system requires cargo data and related documents such as commercial invoices and initial or final bills of lading to be submitted before cargo shipment from the export country. The aim is to prioritize the security of Egyptian citizens, by enabling stakeholders to monitor any risk to the state through the Risk Management System (RMS).

The new procedure explained:

As per the new regulation, all exporters who deliver goods to Egypt by sea are required to register the export in advance through Cargo X, a blockchain technology provider, at least 48 hours before the arrival of the vessel. For new deliveries, the importer must submit an invoice in the Nafeza system, which then generates an ACID number. All subsequent documents must then contain the ACID number in order to be accepted on arrival.

As per the latest announcement from Egypt Ministry of Finance[1], this new regulation will come into effect from 1st October 2021.

What are the Advantages of ACI?

• Protecting the Egyptian citizens from unidentified goods or goods from unidentified origins
• Reducing time and cost of releasing goods and moving to a paperless system.