Quota of exports to EU to increase by 30%

Trade with the EU makes up about 40% of Egypt's foreign trade, ANSAmed reports. The agreement will give EU exporters free and immediate access to the Egyptian market for around 90% of agriculture and fisheries products, a statement reads. Egypt will continue to apply existing conditions to imports of tobacco, wines and spirits and pig meat but will halve its duties on confectionery, chocolate, pasta and bakery products. EU exports of these products to Egypt were worth almost 600 million euro between 2005 and 2007, compared with an equivalent 540 million euro of Egyptian exports to EU markets over the same period, it said.
In return, the EU market will be opened to all products except for a list of items which include tomatoes, cucumbers, artichokes, courgettes, grapes, garlic, strawberries, rice, sugar, processed products with high sugar content, as well as processed tuna and sardines.