Shipping from China to Alexandria
China → Alexandria · via CAI air / Alexandria sea · clearance by Egyptian Customs Authority
For buyers shipping into Alexandria, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Alexandria is the main port city and industrial center; cargo enters through CAI air / Alexandria sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.
The clearing authority is Egyptian Customs Authority. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 7–15 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.
Import duty and tax position for Alexandria
Egyptian Customs Authority assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Alexandria consignees. Current regime: VAT 14%; duty 0–60% depending on commodity, plus development fees on some categories, with a de-minimis position of No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: ACID number issued through the Nafeza single window before shipment — mandatory; GOEIC registration of the foreign factory for many consumer goods. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Egypt: ACID/Nafeza registration must be completed pre-shipment — this is the single most common cause of rejected cargo. GOEIC registration of the exporting factory is required for a long list of consumer goods. Letters of credit are required for many commercial imports.
How this lane actually runs
Egypt's Advance Cargo Information system is the decisive requirement on this lane: the importer must obtain an ACID number through Nafeza and the exporter must reference it on the shipping documents before the goods leave China. Cargo arriving without a valid ACID is refused entry. On top of that, GOEIC factory registration is required for many consumer categories and takes months to obtain.
| Air gateways used | CAI (Cairo), HRG (Hurghada), ALY (Alexandria) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 4–7 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Alexandria, Damietta, Port Said |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 20–28 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Alexandria | CAI air / Alexandria sea |
| Inland leg to Alexandria | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 7–15 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
What to sort out before the cargo leaves China
- Confirm the consignee in Alexandria can act as importer of record — Egyptian Customs Authority will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Put the Alexandria delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Alexandria.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: ACID number issued through the Nafeza single window before shipment — mandatory; GOEIC registration of the foreign factory for many consumer goods.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
Air, sea or overland into Alexandria?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 4–7 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 20–28 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Egypt gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Alexandria and 7–15 days of clearance.
Mode guides for Alexandria
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Alexandria take?
China to the Egypt gateway is 4–7 business days by air, 20–28 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 7–15 days of clearance with Egyptian Customs Authority and a same-day inland leg to Alexandria.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Alexandria?
Egyptian Customs Authority applies: VAT 14%; duty 0–60% depending on commodity, plus development fees on some categories. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Alexandria.
Which port or airport does cargo for Alexandria clear through?
Cargo for Alexandria is routed via CAI air / Alexandria sea. Sea gateways for Egypt are Alexandria, Damietta, Port Said; air gateways are CAI (Cairo), HRG (Hurghada), ALY (Alexandria). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Alexandria?
Yes. Delivery to a Alexandria address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Egyptian Customs Authority, and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.
What certification do I need for Egypt?
For regulated goods, plan for: ACID number issued through the Nafeza single window before shipment — mandatory; GOEIC registration of the foreign factory for many consumer goods. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Alexandria?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via CAI (Cairo), HRG (Hurghada), ALY (Alexandria). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
Other delivery cities in Egypt
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Egypt change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Egyptian Customs Authority or your broker before you ship.
- Egyptian Customs Authority
- Nafeza single window (ACID registration)
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
Page data last reviewed: November 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Hotel Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Bags Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Medical Consumables Medical, Laboratory & Precision Instruments
- Exhibition Display Equipment Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Educational Toys Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Stationery Consumer Goods & Gifts
- E-commerce E-commerce & Retail Channels
- Aluminum Coils Steel & Metal Materials
- Pipe Fittings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Assembly Line Equipment General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Semiconductor Equipment Specialised Production Machinery
Checking the Egypt duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Egyptian Customs Authority against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
For a wider view of how importing into Egypt actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Egypt customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Alexandria. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
FCL vs LCL Shipping: When to Switch (Break-Even Point Explained) — Max Antonov. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.