WT/REG426/M/1  
 
12 December  2022 
(22-9228) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  
Hundred and  Fifth Session    
 
AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND 
EGYPT (GOODS ) 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF  14 NOVEMBER  2022 
Chairm an: Ambassador H.E. Mr. Taeho LEE (Republic of Korea ) 
1.1.  The 10 5th Session of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (hereinafter "CRTA" or the 
"Committee") was convened in Airgram WTO/AIR/RTA/ 30/Rev.1  dated 4 November  2022.  
1.2.  Under Agenda Item F.IV of the Session, the CRTA considered the Agreement establishing an 
Association between the United Kingdom and Egypt , goods  (hereinafter "the Agreement"). The 
Chairman stated that the factual presentation had been prepared by the Secretariat on its own 
responsibility in full consultation with the Parties, in accordance with paragraph 7(b) of the 
Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements (document WT/L/671).  
1.3.  The Agreement had entered into force on 1 January 2021. It had been notified on 31 December  
2020 under Article  XXIV:7(a) of the GATT  1994 (documents  WT/REG426/N/1) as an agreement 
establishing a free trade area for trade in goods within the meaning of Article XXIV of the GATT 
1994. The text of the Agreement and its Annexes were available on the Parties' official websites and 
in the WTO RTA database. The Factual Presentation on the goods aspects of the Agreement 
(document  WT/REG426/1 dated 5 September 2022) had been distributed and no questions had been  
received.  
1.4.  The representative of the United K ingdom  said that t he Agreement had been  signed on 5 
December 2020 and ha d been in force since 1 January 2021. She thanked the Secretariat for 
preparing an excellent factual presentation on the Agreement and the delegation of Egypt for its 
input and cooperation.  
1.5.  The Agreement reaffirm ed the Parties' bilateral relationship and provide d important continuity 
and predictability to individuals, businesses, and stakeholders in both countries.  
1.6.  Egypt was a valued trading partner to the UK and its 49th largest  trading partner globally. It 
was the second largest economy in Africa, behind Nigeria, and was the fastest growing economy in 
the Middle -East and North Africa (MENA) region . Its advantageous location on the Suez Canal and 
its position as an influential re gional actor in Africa and MENA made Egypt an important strategic 
partner for the UK.  
1.7.  Egypt 's economy was worth over USD 400 billion in 2021, according to World Bank data, and 
total trade between the UK and Egypt was worth GBP 3.4 billion in 2021. Total tr ade in goods and 
services between the UK and Egypt had increased by over 34%, or GBP 1 billion, in the four quarters 
to the end of Q2 2022 year -on-year. 
1.8.  The Agreement was a short form agreement, an approach used in other UK continuity 
agreements that had been ratified since February 2019.  It broadly replicate d the effects of the 
EU-Egypt Agreement, which had entered into force in 2004. That included the establishment of 
institutional arrangements between the UK and Egypt based on existing structures , allowi ng for the 
ongoing management of the Agreement.  WT/REG426/M/1  
 
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  1.9.  The provisions in the EU-Egypt Agreement had been  applied mutatis mutandis  with technical 
changes necessary to apply the Agreement as if it had been concluded between the UK and Egypt 
in the first instance.  Where more substantive amendments were required to ensure operability in a 
bilateral context, or where parties agreed that mutatis mutandis  would not deliver adequate certainty 
over rights and obligations, detailed amendments had been included in the Annexes to the 
Agreement.  
1.10.  As a guiding principle, wherever the time bound commitments relate d to liberalising market 
access, it  had been decided to 'inherit the clock ' thus ensuring continuity had been  maintained in 
the new bilateral Agreement. If the time bound commitments relate d to commitments to undertake 
reviews, the clock ha d been reset, thus allowing the UK and Egypt to carry out the reviews in a 
bilateral context.  
1.11.  Across the whole agreement, most of the institutional provisions and bodies provided for in 
the EU -Egypt Agreement had been  incorporated and retained mutatis mutan dis, although some 
modifications had been made to the naming and function of these bodies to ensure they were 
operable in a bilateral context.  
1.12.  The UK looked forward to continuing to work closely with Egypt to enhance their trading 
relationship. In July the  UK had hosted the inaugural Association Council in which  the Parties had 
discussed the importance of collaboration in a number of areas including pharmaceuticals, 
renewables, financial services and agriculture. The Parties were maintaining the momentum fr om 
the council and were looking towards the first Trade and Investment Sub -Committee meeting where 
they would build on discussions and to the agriculture review, which they would launch before the 
end of the year.  
1.13.  The representative of Egypt  thank ed the UK  delegate for her presentation and extended her 
appreciation for the effort made by the Secretariat in preparing the factual presentation  on the 
Agreement.  
1.14.  The Agreement establishe d a free trade area for trade in goods between  the UK and Egypt, it 
had been  signed on 5 December 2020 and notified to the WTO on 31 December 2020 under 
Article  XXIV:7(a) of GATT and its understanding. It had entered into force on 1 January 2021.  
1.15.  The total volume of bilateral trade between the UK and Egypt had reached GBP 3.4 billion in 
2021, an increase of more tha n 29% compar ed to 2020.   The UK was one of the largest foreign 
investors in Egypt : the total balance of British direct investment had amounted to about USD 21.8 
billion until the end of June 2021.  
1.16.  The UK was a maj or economic partner for Egypt  and a strong will from two parties had 
manifested during the 1st meeting of the Association Council held in July in the UK, where it had 
been agreed to establish the Trade and Investment Sub -Committee between the countries.  
1.17.  Prior to the Agreement, trade relations between UK and Egypt had been governed by the 
EU-Egypt Agreements, whose application to the UK had been terminated as of 1st January 2021.  
The Agreement had remained largely unchanged as compared with the situation pre vailing under 
the EU -Egypt Association Agreement when  the UK had still been an EU member State.  
1.18.  The Parties had made a few technical modifications to the incorporated Agreements, in line 
with the current state of bilateral relations, which were contained in Annexes I and II of the 
Agreement.  
1.19.  Egypt was keen on expanding and strengthening trading and economic relations with the UK, 
as was the case with all  major trading partners.  
1.20.  The Chair opened the floor for comments by Members.  
1.21.  The representative of the European Union  thanked the Parties for their presentations.  
1.22.  The representative of the United States  thanked the Parties for their presentations.  WT/REG426/M/1  
 
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  1.23.  The representative of Japan  thanked the Pa rties for their comprehensive and informative 
statements. He appreciated efforts by the Parties and the Secretariat in preparing the factual 
presentation. He wished the Parties success in the implementation of the Agreement.  
1.24.  The representative of Canada  thanked the Members who took part in the work of the 
Committee. He thanked the Parties for their presentation of the Agreement.  
1.25.  The Chair noted that the consideration of the Agreement establishing an Association between 
the United Kingdom and Egypt  had allo wed the Committee to clarify a number of questions and 
conclude oral discussion of the RTA in accordance with paragraph 11 of the Transparency 
Mechanism. Any delegations wishing to ask follow -up questions were invited to forward submissions 
in writing to t he Secretariat by 21 November 2022 and the Parties were asked to submit replies in 
writing by no later than 5 December 2022. In accordance with paragraph 13 of the Transparency 
Mechanism all written submissions, as well as the minutes of the meeting would be circulated 
promptly, in all WTO official languages, and made available on the WTO website.  
1.26.  The Committee took note  of the comments made.  
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