Egypt’s Chamber of Apparel and Home Textile Industries (ECAHT) signed an agreement to establish a logistics hub in Kenya, seeking to boost apparel exports to Africa and give Egyptian manufacturers a stronger foothold in the continent’s markets.
The agreement with the Egyptian Industrial Exports Company was signed at the headquarters of the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) in Cairo, as Egypt seeks to diversify export destinations and reduce reliance on a limited number of traditional markets.
The signing ceremony was attended by representatives of the African Union (AU), the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), as well as representatives of companies involved in trade, shipping and logistics.
In his remarks, Mohamed Abdel Salam, chairman of the Chamber of ECHAT, said the chamber would cover shipping costs for Egyptian goods sent to the hub for six months, in a move aimed at encouraging companies to use the facility and establish a presence in African markets.
“The centre will provide an integrated system to help Egyptian companies expand in African markets by improving shipping and distribution,” Abdel Salam noted.
The hub is intended to address logistical constraints that can make it difficult for Egyptian companies to supply African markets regularly, including shipping costs, delivery times and access to customers and distributors.
By holding products closer to end markets, the facility is expected to allow exporters to respond more quickly to orders and reduce reliance on shipments arranged separately for individual customers.
Egyptian apparel companies are expected to begin shipping products to Kenya in September, with the six-month shipping support intended to encourage manufacturers and exporters to participate.
Also, Abdel Salam said the initiative could help increase garment exports to targeted African countries by at least 20%, without providing a specific value for current or projected exports.
On her part, Mona Wahba, managing director of the Egyptian Industrial Exports Company, said the hub would provide integrated services including shipping, warehousing and insurance, helping streamline cross-border trade.
The project also seeks to support smaller manufacturers and exporters, which often face higher logistical costs and greater barriers when entering new markets.
The initiative forms part of Egypt’s broader efforts to expand trade with African countries and create more sustainable channels for Egyptian products, with industry officials stressing closer coordination between manufacturers, industrial chambers and export authorities to tap opportunities across the continent.
