Egypt: Food Processing Ingredients
With an estimated 5,200 companies, Egyptian food processors and manufacturers reportedly generated an estimated turnover of $22.5 billion in calendar year 2017 (January-August), up nearly 55 percent by some estimates compared to the same period in 2016. The sector in 2016 reportedly accounted for about 4.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The sector has grown with a compound annual growth rate of almost 15 percent [2011-16]. Driving growth is the shift to increased production for domestic consumption and exports. Despite competition for European Union suppliers, Egyptian food companies are on the lookout for U.S. food ingredients that can provide a competitive advantage. Top five imported food ingredients groupings include: food preparations; chocolate and cocoa products; condiments and sauces; spices; and eggs and egg products. Food ingredients are imported with minimal tariff to no tariffs for the food processing and manufacturing sector.