Egypt Halts Food Export Checks to Morocco Amid Customs Delays

In a circular dated February 22, the President of the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) of Egypt, Ashraf Mohamed Sami, ordered "the immediate suspension of all inspections and health controls applied to food exports destined for Morocco." Perishable goods and agro-industrial products, as well as all products subject to the requirements of the International Health Regulations (IHR), are affected by this measure.

This decision aims to reduce the congestion at the Moroccan customs of shipments of Egyptian products exported to Morocco, due to the strengthened controls of the Moroccan health authorities. A situation that has led to an extension of the processing time for phytosanitary certificates and compliance analyses, creating a risk of deterioration of agricultural products, particularly citrus fruits, potatoes and processed products.

Greatly affected by this situation, agricultural federations and exporters’ associations have called for coordination between the Moroccan and Egyptian authorities. Discussions with the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA) of Morocco are planned to facilitate the customs clearance of the shipments waiting.

For the moment, the duration of the suspension has not been specified. According to some sources, this crisis "could accelerate the establishment of a more structured cooperation framework between the health authorities of the two countries in order to improve the transit of food products and reduce the risks of port congestion in the future." In 2024, Egyptian food exports to Morocco reached more than $350 million, according to data from the Egyptian Ministry of Commerce and Industry.