Egypt’s agriculture exports to France reach $40M annually

CAIRO - 11 July 2018: Egypt’s agriculture exports to France record $40 million annually, Head of French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Egypt Mahmoud el- Kaissy said.

This came during the meeting held by the chamber in the presence of the members of the Chamber of Agriculture and representatives of the Export Development Authority to prepare for the participation in the French Sial exhibition specialized in agricultural production.

Kaissy announced the launch of a number of new programs to involve the largest number of workers in the Egyptian agricultural production, whether farmers or manufacturers, to participate in the French exhibitions specialized in that field.

He affirmed that there are promising opportunities which may promote to double Egyptian agricultural exports to the European markets, as international reports indicated that France alone spends an estimated $9 billion annually on imports of agricultural products.

“Despite the weakness of the volume of Egyptian exports, the Egyptian product presents great opportunities to multiply these figures, especially that the Egyptian product enjoys many competitive advantages, including the low price, compared to the same products of European origin,” he stated.

Kaissy clarified that the chamber is going to send a trade mission on the sidelines of the exhibition to visit the largest European wholesale markets, see all the variables and requirements of the markets, and sign the actual transactions to achieve the desired economic development.

For his part, General Manager of the chamber Hassan Behnam said that SIAL exhibition is considered to be one of the most important exhibitions specialized in the agricultural production and industry.

He clarified that participating in international exhibitions is the perfect way to develop the Egyptian exports as they provide opportunities to conduct business transactions and identify the nature of foreign markets and conditions for their access.

SIAL PARIS (The Global Food Marketplace) is a trade fair held every two years, which specializes in the food processing industry. This event was first held in 1964 in Paris. It will take place this year from October 21 to 25.

Manager of Business France Office in Egypt Ludovic Prevest said previously that the trade exchange between Egypt and France recorded $2.5 billion (LE 44.18 billion) in the fiscal year 2016/2017.

According to Prevest, Sial Paris Exhibition targets to increase the trade exchange between the two states and strengthen the economic relations between Egypt and the European Union.

He said that 109 Egyptian companies participated in the last edition of the exhibition, expecting this number to increase in the upcoming event.

Former Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade Tarek Kabil said earlier that Egypt’s exports to France increased 36.4 percent in 2017 to record €572 million (LE 12.42 billion), compared to €420 million in 2016.

Kabil added that trade exchange between Egypt and France rose 21.8 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year.