Last week, a client shipped 200 phones to Cairo. They stayed in customs for 12 days. Reason? One missing IMEI batch.
Egypt started mandatory IMEI registration in 2025. In July 2026, checks extended to cross-border parcels. Gray channels now carry real risk—return, confiscation, or fines.
Use compliant channels like DHL, FedEx, or 8ship. Before shipping: first, prepare an IMEI Excel by model and color. Second, confirm if duties must be prepaid—Egypt's tariffs are around 10%-15%. Third, tell buyers not to resell within three months.
The quiet killer is returns. A rejected phone goes through another export-import cycle, taking over 30 days.
So verify the buyer's receiving ability first, especially outside the Nile Delta.
It's late August. Ramadan restocking is coming. Still want to gamble?