Egypt's Air Freight New Regulations: Logistics Competition Behind the $80 Fee Cut and Opportunities for SME Freight Forwarders

The processing fee per shipment has been temporarily reduced from $175 to $95. At a critical moment in Egypt's customs digitalization reform, a clever policy lever has stabilized cargo volumes that might otherwise have been lost.

On January 1, 2026, two new regulations affecting international air freight in Egypt came into effect simultaneously.

On one hand, the mandatory "Advance Cargo Information System" (ACI) became officially applicable to all air imports, requiring electronic declaration of goods before departure.

On the other hand, the Egyptian government announced a temporary reduction of air cargo processing and audit fees from $175 to $95 per shipment, effective for six months.

01 The Policy Duet

The implementation of the new regulations marks the extension of Egypt's customs digitalization process from seaports to airports. Through the single electronic window named "Nafeza," all air cargo must submit key data such as the manifest before departure and obtain a 19-digit ACID number.

Egyptian Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk stated that this measure is "an important step in building a trust-based partnership with the business community."

Parallel to the digital reform is the fee adjustment. Egyptian authorities decided to significantly reduce the processing and audit fee per shipment by $80 for six months. This measure is widely interpreted as a move to offset the compliance cost pressures brought by the new digital regulations.

02 Transitional Buffer

The essence of this temporary fee reduction is a transitional buffer set by Egypt to maintain its regional air freight competitiveness while promoting trade modernization.

Air freight is extremely sensitive to operational costs, especially for price-elastic categories such as apparel, electronic components, and e-commerce parcels. Any new fees could divert cargo flows to surrounding hubs like Dubai or Doha.

The fee cut directly targets high-frequency, small-batch cargo. It provides importers and freight forwarders with financial breathing space to cope with the initial costs of system integration, process adjustment, and staff training required to comply with the ACI system.

03 New Logistics Opportunities

For alert international logistics companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) focusing on specific regions or product categories, Egypt's new policy presents structural opportunities.

The first is the opportunity for improved timeliness and certainty. A well-functioning digital customs system can theoretically significantly reduce the dwell time of goods at airports, achieving "pre-clearance before arrival, release upon arrival." This enables logistics companies to offer more reliable and faster Egypt route products to their clients.

The second is the opportunity for professional compliance services. The new regulations will inevitably cause operational confusion for some companies struggling to adapt to digitalization. Logistics firms that can quickly master the ACI system (operated through the CargoX platform) and provide clients with one-stop compliance guidance—from document preparation to ACID number acquisition—will establish a strong professional barrier.

04 Practical Challenges

Opportunities coexist with challenges. The primary challenge of the new regulations lies in the initial operational friction. The mandatory rollout of any new system inevitably faces issues like unstable data interfaces, rejected declarations, and discrepancies in understanding between customs and businesses in the early stages. This may lead to increased clearance times for some goods instead of reductions.

The second is the long-term uncertainty in cost structure. The current fee reduction is explicitly set for six months. Whether and how the fees will be restored after this period remains a Sword of Damocles hanging over logistics companies and shippers. Logistics enterprises need to plan for medium- to long-term costs.

Furthermore, there is the test of SMEs' adaptability. Large multinational logistics companies have the resources and teams to adapt quickly to new regulations, while resource-limited SMEs may face greater transition pains.

05 Action and Outlook

Faced with the evolving international trade landscape and industry rules, international logistics companies, regardless of size, should proactively respond.

For companies operating Egypt routes, the immediate priority is to thoroughly study the details of the ACI system, ensuring that operational teams are proficient in using the CargoX platform and the ACID number application process. Simultaneously, they should proactively communicate with partners in Egypt (importers, customs brokers) to ensure they have completed their NAFEZA platform registration.

From a broader perspective, global logistics nodes like Shanghai are also continuously upgrading their digital port systems. The global competition for trade facilitation has shifted from a "hardware race" in infrastructure to a "software race" in data fluidity and clearance certainty.

Egypt's policy of "reducing fees to escort digitalization" provides a vivid case for the international logistics industry: in the modern international trade landscape, low price alone is no longer a core competitive advantage. The true value lies in the ability to help clients move goods safely, efficiently, and predictably through the complex global network of compliance requirements.