Chemical Export Council Targets Africa, China, and Europe to Drive Trade and Attract $2.5B in New Investments
hamdy Abdelrashid
The Export Council for Chemical Industries and Fertilizers has unveiled a comprehensive expansion strategy designed to enhance market access across Africa, China, and Europe from 2026 to 2028. The roadmap operates in tandem with an aggressive drive to attract approximately $2.5 billion in new industrial foreign direct investments (FDI).
Khaled Abu Al-Makarem, Chairman of the Export Council, emphasized that Africa serves as the natural extension for Egyptian exports and the most viable destination for domestic commodities. He noted that the council has finalized an integrated program aimed at removing logistical bottlenecks and maximizing Egypt's footprint in African markets through targeted trade missions and the utilization of existing regional free trade agreements.
Strategic Foreign Investments and Megaprojects In the same context, Moustafa El-Gabaly, Vice Chairman of the Council, announced the pipeline of new manufacturing ventures within the fertilizer and petrochemical sectors. Backed by an estimated investment capital of $2.5 billion, these projects are being developed in partnership with foreign investors—predominantly from China—and are projected to enter full commercial operations within the next three years.
Concurrently, Dr. Mona Wahba, Managing Director of the Egyptian Company for Industrial Exports, revealed the launch of the first Egyptian corporate consortium established to build an integrated logistics and commercial trade hub in Nairobi, Kenya, to service the East African markets.
Sub-Saharan Logistical Footprint
Scale and Scope: The hub spans a comprehensive area of 20,000 square meters and delivers fully integrated supply-chain services, including warehousing, marketing, multimodal transport, and financial collection.
Launch Date: The facility is scheduled to officially begin receiving freight configurations starting July 15, 2026.
Regional Hub: The project will function as a strategic regional gateway serving Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan, flanked by auxiliary showrooms in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Somalia to anchor the expansion of Egyptian products across the continent.
Furthermore, the Export Council confirmed that arrangements are underway to receive high-level Chinese investment delegations over the coming period. The scheduled visits are optimized to study the establishment of new greenfield industrial facilities in Egypt, accelerating technology transfer, deepening local component manufacturing, and fueling outbound trade.
