Having observed the positive economic results of the QIZ agreement between Israel and Jordan and bracing for the phasing out of the quantitative quotas on textile (The WTO Agreement on Textile and Closing, ATC) that posed a great threat to the international competitiveness of the Egyptian textile and ready-made garment industry, the Egyptian Government decided to accommodate the concerns of the Egyptian producers and employees of the industry through negotiating a QIZ protocol.
The agreement was signed in Cairo on December 24th 2004, and entered into force in February 2005.
The positive immediate results were dramatic: if the total Israeli export to Egypt in 2004 were 29$ million, in 2005 it climbed to 93.2$ million, some 300% jump-off. During 2006 the total Israeli exports to Egypt continued to climb and exceeded 125$ million.
The total Egyptian exports to the U.S. that was 1,283$ million in 2004 acceded 2$ billion in 2005 and continued to climb during 2006.
Until now, ten industrial zones have been identified.
As QIZ-related activities increase and new geographical areas grow more dedicated to and competitive at exporting to the U.S. market, more QIZ zones may be added to the already-existing ten QIZ zones upon the approval of the government of the United States .
For more information on business activity in the framework of the QIZ agreement, please contact the Middle East Department at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor: