One of my Shenzhen clients shipped a batch of small appliances to Egypt last month, worth $30,000. When it arrived at Alexandria Port, customs held the shipment on the spot — because the Certificate of Origin was a scanned paper copy, not an electronically issued one. Demurrage cost $800 per day, and the delay lasted five days.
Honestly, this requirement was announced in late 2025, but many sellers still hoped it wouldn't be enforced. Starting June 2026, Egypt Customs is strictly enforcing the electronic Certificate of Origin (e-CO). Paper or email scans are no longer accepted. In my experience, you must confirm with your forwarder that they can generate compliant electronic documents under the Egyptian NAFEZA platform before shipping.
Here's what to do: First, register an e-CO in the NAFEZA system before shipment. Second, ensure the HS code and all details match the e-CO exactly — one typo can cause a hold. Third, even for express or air freight, the same e-CO is required. Don't assume small parcels slip through.
A quick stat: In the first week of June alone, six of my shipments were held, with an average delay of four days. The extra clearance fees and warehousing costs added up to 8-12% of the total cargo value. It's just one document, but skimping on it is a costly mistake.
Now I ask every client: "Is your e-Certificate of Origin ready?" If they can't answer, I tell them to stop shipping until it is. No need to take the risk.