Registration of Factories and Companies owning Trademarks Eligible for Exporting Products to the Arab Republic of Egypt

The registration of factories and companies owning trademarks that are eligible to export products to the Arab Republic of Egypt is a mandatory legal procedure aims to ensuring the quality of imported goods into the Egyptian market and protecting consumers. This procedure is regulated by decrees issued by the relevant authorities, such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry, in accordance with the laws governing import and export Legal Framework for the Registration of Factories and Companies.

Article (1) of the decree of the Minister of Trade and Industry No. 992 of 2015 stipulates that “a register shall be established within the General Authority for Export and Import Control “GOEIC” to list the factories authorized to export the products outlined in the attached statement to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

These products, when imported for commercial purposes, may only be released if they are produced by factories registered in this register.

A decision issued by the Minister responsible for foreign trade shall govern the registration or removal of entries in this register. The Minister has the authority to exempt any or all of the registration requirements in cases he deems appropriate.”

Article No. (2) of the Minister of the Trade and Industry No. 43 of 2016 determines the conditions related to the registration of the companies and factories that are eligible to its export of products to the Arab Republic of Egypt, as follows:

Firstly: Registering the Foreign Companies in Egypt

1. Adding the companies that own a Trademark:

• A registration application shall be submitted by the legal representative of the companies that own trademark or the authorized person.
• A certificate of trademark registration specifying the products manufactured under the registered trademark.
• A certificate from the trademark-owning company indicating the authorized distribution centers permitted to supply products bearing the trademark.
• A certificate clarifies that companies that own trademark applies a quality control system, issued by an entity recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), or an Egyptian or foreign governmental authority approved by the Minister of Foreign Trade.

2. Adding companies that operate under a trademark owned by another company:

• A registration application shall be submitted by the legal representative of the companies that own trademark or the authorized person.
• A certificate of trademark registration specifying the products manufactured under the registered trademark.
• A certificate from the trademark-owning company indicating the authorized distribution centers permitted to supply products bearing the trademark.
• A certificate clarifies that companies that own trademark applies a quality control system, issued by an entity recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), or an Egyptian or foreign governmental authority approved by the Minister of Foreign Trade.
• A proxy for exploitation the trademark for manufacturing and export to the company to be registered.

Secondly: Registering the Foreign Companies in Egypt

1- Adding factory manufacture products under a trademark owned by the factory:

• A certificate of the factory’s legal entity and its operating license.
• Proxy issued from the factory to represent the factory before GOEIC on the company’s letterhead
• The Commercial Register of the factory.
• The trademark certificate of the product.
• A statement of the items produced and their trademarks, and the categories of such products printed on the company’s letterhead.
• A certificate confirming that the factory implements a quality control system, issued by an entity recognized by ILAC, IAF, or an Egyptian or foreign governmental authority approved by the Minister of Foreign Trade. Provided that the expiry date of the certificate following the date of application shall not be less than three (3) months.

2- Adding factory manufacturing products without trademarks:

• Proxy issued from the factory to represent the factory before GOEIC on the company’s letterhead.
• A certificate of the factory’s legal entity and its operating license.
• The Commercial Register of the factory.
• A statement of the items produced and their trademarks, and the categories of such products printed on the company’s letterhead.
• A certificate confirming that the factory applied a quality control system, issued by an entity recognized by ILAC, IAF, or an Egyptian or foreign governmental authority approved by the Minister of Foreign Trade. Provided that the expiry date of the certificate following the date of application shall not be less than three (3) months.
• Valid quality certificate of the products that shall added. Provided that the expiry date of the certificate following the date of application shall not be less than three (3) months.

Article 3, Paragraph 4, of Ministerial Decree No. 195 of 2022 states that registration documents may be submitted through the embassies and consulates of the relevant countries.

Thirdly: Registration Duration

The Ministerial Decree No. 195 of 2022 specifies the timeframe required for registering a factory or company upon submission of the required documents. The decree stated that “Registration in the designated register shall be completed upon submission of the required documents, and the concerned party shall receive proof of registration within a period not exceeding Fifteen (15) days from the date of fulfilling the required documentation. If there is doubt regarding the authenticity of the submitted documents, registration shall not be completed until their validity is confirmed. Upon request by the applicant, an inspection may be conducted at the company or factory to verify the authenticity of the documents, subject to approval by the Minister of Foreign Trade.”

Fourthly: Penalties

A company or factory may be removed from the register by a reasoned decision issued by the Chairman of “GOEIC” in cases where any of the registration conditions are no longer met.

The decision to remove a company from the register may be appealed before the Grievance Committee within sixty (60) days from the date of notification of the decision.

Finally, the legal procedures for registering companies, trademarks, and exporting products to Egypt are essential to ensuring compliance with Egyptian laws and protecting the rights of businesses. By adhering to the applicable regulations, companies can legally and securely access the Egyptian market, offering them significant opportunities for growth and expansion.