G/TFA/N/EGY/2  
 
 
14 October 2019  
(19-6612) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
 
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 10.6.2  OF TH E 
AGREEMENT ON TRADE F ACILITATION  
COMMUNICATION FROM EGYPT  
The following communication  dated 10 October 2019 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Egypt for Members' information.  
 
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The Arab Republic of Egypt hereby makes the following notification based on Article 10.6.2 of the 
Agreement on Trade Facilitation.  
 
Article 10, paragraph 6.2  
 
The Egyptian Customs  Law No. 66/ 1963 and its executive  regulation  No. 10/2006  allow the 
stakeholder or his agent to deal with customs in finalizing the customs procedures without 
introducing the mandatory  use of customs brokers.  
 
Article 49 of Customs Law  defines  the custom  broker  as a natural or judicial  person who  prepares , 
signs and present s the customs declaration to the Customs  Authority and  finalize s the procedures 
in respect of the goods for others . The article adds that Custom Broker is not authorized to practice 
its clearance job unless he obtains  a license from the Customs  Authority as clarified in the executive  
regulation . 
 
The Executive Regulation devoted chapter three of it entitled "Customs Clearance and customs 
Brokers" to clarify the system of customs brokers and the conditions for obtaining a license, as 
follows:  
 
Article 70  
 
The profession of clearance of goods belonging to others shall not be practiced except after obtaining 
a license from the Customs Authority. The license is issued for a period of three years and  is 
renewable as stipulated in these regulations.  
 
The license shall be terminated if it is not renewed before the end of its validity period . The license 
may be renewed at the request of the Broker provided that the license conditions for practicing the 
profession stipulated in these regulations are met.  
 
Article 71  
 
Without prejudice to the legal status of Customs brokers who have been licensed to practice the 
profession prior to the entry into force of these regulations, persons practicing the profession  of 
clearance of goods, in accordance with  the provisions of the preceding  article , shall meet the 
following requirements:  
 
a) Has A.R.E nationality.  
b) Has their own office . 
c) Has a high qualification  (University degree ). 
d) Is at least 21 years old.  G/TFA/N/EGY/2  
 
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  e) Must not have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanour prejudicial to  honour or any of the 
crimes of customs smuggling unless he has been rehabilitated, and this shall be proved by 
submitting the criminal status sheet.   
f) Must not have been dismissed  from the government or public authorities or his name has been 
had struck off the Customs brokers’ schedule  for reason s relate  to breaches the honour or honesty 
unless five years have elapsed.  
g) Has performed military service or has been exempted from it.  
h) Has attended training courses held by the Customs Authority and passed the exam qualifying for 
the profession at the end of the courses. Highly qualified ex -Customs employees shall be exempted 
from attending the training courses, provided that they pass the aforementioned exam.  
i) Submits a tax card.  
 
Article 72  
 
A request for obtaining a license for practicing the profession of Customs broker shall be submitted, 
on the form prepared for that purpose, with supporting certificates and documents attached as proof 
that the provisions stipulated in the previous article have been met.  Licenses may be issued for 
judicial persons , provided that they meet the following requirements:  
 
a) Submit a commercial register . 
b) The company has independent pr emises . 
c) Clearing operations are to be practiced only by brokers meeting the aforementioned provisions . 
 
Article 73  
 
Each Customs Clearance Office shall deposit a cash insurance of five thousand pounds at the 
Customs Authority . The Customs Authority  may deduct from this deposit the amount of fines  and 
compensations due to  violations committed by the office or its brokers  employed by him . The amount 
shall be replenished to substitute, the fines or compensations deducted.  
 
Article 74  
 
A Customs broker shall:  
 
a) Keep a special register,  serial stamped with the customs authority's seal, to register serially the 
shipments cleared, together with  the Customs declaration number  and the Customs receipt 
number and the date. It is obliged to submit it to customs authority when requesting its review.  
b) Deliver a detailed statement to the client, signed and stamped with the office stamp, stating 
expenses, clearance fees, and taxes and duties paid.  
c) Maintain this register  and documents  for 5 years.  
 
Article 75  
 
Ministries, government Authorities, public organizations and their economic units, public enterprise 
sector companies and their equivalents, embassies, and commercial and production companies may 
conduct Customs clearance of their own shipments  through their personnel, provided that they have 
passed Customs Clearance Training Course, and based on a written authorization from these entities. 
The Customs Administration is en titled to reject any of them and notify the competent entity of the 
reason s of the rejection.  
 
Article 76  
A disciplinary body shall be established  in each Central administration , to be responsible for 
accountability of  the brokers for the violations  that committed by them that are referred to the 
disciplinary body, headed by a  General Manager, selected by the competent  head of the Central 
Administration with the membership of:   
a) Legal Affairs Manager . 
b) Customs Brokers Representative, selected by the Head of the competent Central Administration.   
The decisions shall be issued  by the major ity of votes with justification . 
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  Article 77  
 
The disciplinary body may impose any of  the following penalties:  
a) Warning . 
b) Suspension for a period not exceeding  six months f or the first violation , the penalty shall be 
doubled i f the violation is repeated within three years.  
c) License Termination  
 
The recommendation made by the disciplinary body shall be effective only after ratification by  the 
Head of Customs Authority , and he may reduce the penalty and his decisions shall be enforceable 
and final . 
 
Article 78  
 
None of the penalties stipulated in the preceding  Article shall be imposed , unless the broker is 
investigated,  and his defence is heard by the Customs Authority.  
 
In cas e of serious violation, the Minister of Finance has the right to suspend the broker's license  until 
the recommendations of the disciplinary body issued and ratified . 
 
Article 79  
 
The relevant Customs Manager, in whose jurisdiction the violation is committed, shall communicate 
the penalties imposed on the brokers to the Central Directorate for Economic Research and Tariffs, 
in order to have them recorded in registers and notify all Customs Sectors of them.  
 
Article 80  
 
The license granted to a broker shall be revoked in case a final court judgement is passed against 
him in a felony or misdemeanor that violates honor  or honesty or if he misses one of the conditions 
of the licence requ ired to practice the profession.  
 
Article 81  
 
Licenses may be issued for the following categories in accordance with the provisions set forth below:  
 
a) Assistant Broker:  
 
The license shall be issued to the public clearance offices in numbers adequate with their work load, 
without adherence to the conditions prescribed, the work of assistants is limited to the auxiliary work 
of the Office, and they are not entitled to be  presented during the stages of disclosure and valuation.  
 
b) Broker  who is affiliated to an office : 
 
The aforementioned provisions  for issuing a license for a public broker apply here as well, except for 
the provision of establishing an office and that of payment of the insurance . His work is restricted to 
his office’s clients.  
 
c) Representative:  
 
Applications for the issuance of repre sentatives ' cards shall be submitted to  the Departments  Brokers  
Affairs, along with the academic qualification and an authorization from the entity or its affiliate to 
approve the issuance of the card.  
 
The executive  regulation  issued by the ministerial decree  No. 10/2006  published in the Egyptian 
Official Gazette Supplement No 9 A (Contd.)  Issued on Monday, 16 January  2006.  
 
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