Egypt: Halal Regulations will be postponed to the 31st of December 2023
Have you been preparing to certify your dairy exports with ISEG Halal?
The Egyptian government has submitted a new notification to WTO postponing the implementation of Halal regulations until 31st of December 2023 (date of arrival at Egyptian ports). This decision provides more time for businesses to prepare for the certification process with ISEG Halal, and there remains a possibility of further postponements.
In 2021, the Egyptian government announced that ISEG Halal would be the sole competent authority recognized by the government to issue halal certificates for all food products and factories. It was also stated that all imported food products especially meat and dairy must be halal certified by ISEG Halal to enter Egypt. However, due to the lack of clarity surrounding the implementation of this decision on dairy products, the government has chosen to postpone its application several times.
Concerns regarding the implementation procedures of ISEG Halal have been raised by several embassies, leading to an official letter being shared with the Egyptian Prime Minister office last month. The lack of clarity on how the government will address previous comments about the potential monopoly of ISEG Halal, as well as the timeline for providing clear information about the implementation mechanism and the specific dairy products to which it will apply, remains unclear.
The agricultural team of the embassy will continue to monitor developments in this matter and will provide updates as necessary. For further information, please contact KAI-LNV@minbuza.nl.