Trade and Investment

Through decades of partnership and over $15 billion in investments, USAID has supported the Egyptian government and businesses to modernize and grow the economy. USAID has assisted the government to improve its tax system, increase public revenue, improve customs and reduce barriers to trade, reduce red tape and improve business services, and develop strategies that increase investment in Egyptian industries.  USAID has assisted the private sector to launch and expand businesses, gain access to finance, train workers, improve product quality, and trade goods across borders. Through current programs related to macroeconomic policy, trade, enterprise, and workforce development, USAID is working in partnership with the Government of Egypt to create an environment in which businesses can thrive.

CURRENT PROGRAMS

MACRO-ECONOMIC STABILIZATION AND REFORM: At the request of the Government of Egypt, USAID is supporting Egypt’s economic reforms by strengthening public financial management and public investment planning. In partnership with the Ministry of Finance, USAID is providing training and capacity building to improve fiscal management, budgeting, and expenditure control, as well as to promote greater budget efficiency, transparency, and accountability. In partnership with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, USAID works to improve public investment planning, management, implementation, and monitoring to enhance the productivity of public capital assets and the efficiency and effectiveness of public services.  USAID is also supporting the cooperation between the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development as well as other key government entities to integrate planning, budgeting and financing for public investment projects.
Implementing Partner: DAI; Life of Project: April 2018 – April 2023; Total Estimated Cost: $22.7 million; Governorates: Nationwide.

TRADE REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT: USAID’s Trade Reform and Development in Egypt (TRADE) program is working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Customs Authority, National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), and General Authority for Foreign Investment (GAFI) to increase Egypt’s exports and promote foreign direct investment from small and medium enterprises in the engineering products, food processing, home textiles, ready-made garments, chemicals, and building materials sectors. The TRADE program also works with trade service institutions to strengthen services for small- and medium-sized exporters.  In addition, it works to improve general trade policy framework issues such as non-tariff barriers; trade facilitation issues (expediting custom processes and procedures); food safety; support for U.S. trade discussions, including the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) fora; and trade preference programs such as the Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ) and the General System of Preferences (GSP).
>Implementing Partner: Palladium; Life of Project: June 2021 – June 2026; Total Cost: $36.3 million; Governorates: Nationwide.

BUSINESS EGYPT: USAID’s Business Egypt program supports Egyptian entrepreneurs to launch and grow competitive and innovative businesses, with the ultimate goal of accelerating economic development in Egypt. The program assists new micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to start up and accelerate growth and employment while also supporting existing MSMEs to adapt, innovate, and grow.  At the same time, this program supports improvements in the regulatory and business environment so that businesses can flourish.  Business Egypt is supporting groups like the Women’s Entrepreneur Network, the Youth Entrepreneur Network, and Tiye Angels investor network to expand the quality and quantity of job opportunities, especially for women and youth.
Implementing Partner: DAI; Life of Project: November 2021 - November 2026; Total Estimated Cost: $34.9 million; Governorates: Nationwide.

SUSTAINABLE SERVICES ACTIVITY: USAID is working with Finance and Banking Consultants International (FinBi) through the Sustainable Services Activity to support micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, drive economic growth, create jobs, increase access to finance, find innovative solutions to improve people's lives, and ensure the sustainability of incubation and business development services to startups and small businesses. This program also provided support services to help small businesses survive the economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Implementing Partner: Finance and Banking Consultants International (FinBi); Life of Project: August 2020 – August 2022; Total Estimated Cost: $4.3 million; Governorates: Nationwide.

EGYPTIAN-AMERICAN ENTERPRISE FUND: The Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund is a U.S. Government-funded private entity with a dual mission. First, it aims to stimulate growth in the Egyptian private sector by providing small- and medium-sized enterprises access to investment capital and loans, modern technologies, and best business practices. Second, the fund targets investments across a range of sectors, including financial services, agribusiness, health care, and education, that achieve long-term sustainable economic development. Through the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund, USAID has generated 15,000 new jobs, supported 200,000 micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, and attracted over $400 million in foreign direct investment. The fund is led by a Board of Directors from the U.S. and Egypt and advised by Lorax Capital Partners, an Egyptian financial services institution. To learn more, visit: https://www.eaefund.org/.
Implementing Partner: Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund; Life of Project: 2013-2028; Total Estimated Cost: $300 million; Governorates: Nationwide.

WORKFORCE EGYPT: Building on decades of U.S. investments in Egypt’s education system, USAID’s Workforce Egypt project will prepare 100,000 Egyptian students for skilled jobs in the private sector. By collaborating with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education and a variety of other public and private sector stakeholders to transform Egypt’s Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) system to ensure youth have the necessary skills for a globally competitive economy, USAID’s Workforce Egypt project will establish sustainable jobs and institutionalize labor market reforms to support workforce development now and in the future. The project provides technical assistance, capacity building, and training for: students, teachers, and administrators in technical schools; the new Quality Assurance and Accreditation Authority, the new Teachers Academy, training and employment centers; private companies; business associations; and non-governmental organizations.  USAID will also partner with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education and the private sector to establish 10 International Applied Technology Schools that will operate according to international standards, offer new market-driven specializations, and act as hubs for surrounding schools.
Implementing Partner: MTC International Development Holding Company; Life of Project: June 2021 – May 2026; Total Estimated Cost: $70 million; Governorates: 15 governorates in Upper Egypt and the Delta region, including Alexandria, Aswan, Beni Suef, Damietta, Fayoum, Gharbiya, Ismailia, Menoufia, Port Said, Red Sea, and Sharquia.

ENHANCING THE U.S.-EGYPT COMMERCIAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATIONSHIP: Through a grant to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program, USAID provides legal and trade-related technical assistance to the Government of Egypt and the Egyptian private sector. This program provides support in the areas of food safety, trade facilitation, customs valuation, trade engagement, and intellectual property rights.
Implementing Partner: U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program; Life of Project: September 2018 – September 2022; Total Estimated Cost: $2.98 million; Governorates: Nationwide.