Egypt is a strong base from which to grow a business. Domestically the country’s economy is showing robust improvement. Egypt’s GDP grew by 4.9 per cent during the year 04/05 (up from 4.2 per cent in 03/04) reaching LE 558 billion, up from LE 485 billion in 03/04.

Exports are rising as Egypt engages more actively with global business. Situated at the hub of the world’s sea lanes, and with direct access into the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt is a gateway into a vast region of more than 900 million people.

Egypt has signed numerous trade agreements that help companies to move their products easily, including special agreements with the European Union.
Egypt is one of the founding members of the world trade organization (WTO). It has abided by a strict timetable of trade liberalization according to the rules of the WTO.

The agreement with European has established the appropriate conditions for liberalization and wider access to markets.
COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) has created a Free Trade Area guaranteeing the free movement of goods and services produced within COMESA and the removal of all tariffs and non-tariff barriers the free movement of capital and investment

Egypt is also determined to foster closer economic links with its Arab neighbours via the conclusion of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) which has been concluded with 12 Arab countries (Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates).

Egypt is also a member of:

• The Group of fifteen (G15) which was established in 1989 for promoting South-South Cooperation and North –South dialogue in trade, investment and technology in order to pursue collaboration on economic issues and to strengthen negotiating status of developing countries with the developed countries.
• The D-8 is a global arrangement to improve developing countries’ positions in the world economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level, and provide better standards of living. The D-8 comprises co-founders Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nigeria.
• The group of 77 (G77) was established by seventy – seven developing countries. It is the largest Third World coalition in the United Nations, The group of 77 provides the means for the developing world to articulate and promote its collective economic interests and enhance its joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues in the United Nations system, and promote economic and technical cooperation among developing countries.

A number of treaties encourage indirect incentives and promote investments such as a treaty covering reciprocal protection of investments, signed with 84 countries, and a treaty providing against double taxation signed with 31 countries.

In July 1999, Egypt and the US signed the trade and investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), a preliminary step toward a free trade agreement.

The QIZ protocol is a trade arrangement between Egypt and the US granting all products manufactured by public or private, small or large factories, located within the seven designated qualifying industrial zones in Egypt, and satisfying the required rules of origin, an immediate free access to the US market without any custom duties or quota restrictions.