New facilities for importing solar energy systems along with maintaining the quality control.
As a part of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s policies that aims at facilitating the trade, reducing release time, and supporting the state’s directions towards sustainable development and expansion in using new and renewable energy, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, issued Resolution No. 32 of 2026, that includes new facilitations for the procedures of inspecting the imported solar energy systems and products, along with continuing the regulatory controls that ensure their conformity to Egyptian standards.
The resolution was published in the Egyptian Gazette, Issue No. 178, August 16, 2026, and shall be effective on the day following the date of its publication.
The resolution complements the regulatory framework established by Ministerial Resolution No. 486 of 2025, which added solar energy systems and products to the goods subject to special import conditions, within Serial No. 14, Annex No. 3 attached to the Executive Regulation of Import and Export Law.
Products subject to this Regulation shall include photovoltaic solar cell systems, flat plate solar thermal panels, inverters, solar batteries, flat plate collectors solar water heaters, evacuated glass tube solar water heaters, and associated tanks and components.
Two cases where a superficial examination is sufficient
Resolution No. 32 of 2026 added a new paragraph to the conditions of importing these products, that allows sufficiency of visual inspection and matching the data enlisted on the shipment with the data stated in its documents in one of the following two cases:
First case: Production by a registered entity
The imported goods shall be produced by someone registered with the GOEIC, in accordance with the provisions of Article (94) of the Executive Regulation of Import and Export Law.
Registration according to Article (94) depends on fulfilling a set of requirements, including the existence of a quality control system at the producing company, providing a proof that the goods were produced in accordance with one of the approved standards, in addition to documenting factories’ data, products and trademarks.
This tack represents a motivation for producers to pre-register and comply with quality requirements, for simplifying the procedures of inspecting their products when they procured to the Egyptian market.
Second case: Submitting a Certified Inspection and Audit Certificate
The shipment shall be accompanied with an authenticated and certified Inspection and Audit Certificate, which shall include:
The certificate shall be issued by an accredited certification body recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), or by an Egyptian or foreign entity approved by the Minister of Foreign Trade.
The tests stated in the certificate shall be included within the scope of the technical accreditation of the entity that conducted them, and compliance of the data of products, models, quantities, origin, and trademarks with the data enlisted in the shipment documents.
Facilitation shall not eliminate the control.
The Resolution affirmed the continued right of the GOEIC to conduct a random inspection of any of these shipments to verify continued compliance with specified standards and requirements.
Consequently, the resolution shall not represent a general exemption from the control or a cancellation of quality requirements, but rather it applies the concept of risk-based control, by granting lenient treatment to the shipment for which reliable conformity assurances are available, while maintaining random inspection as a regulatory assurance.
Completing release of the shipments remains linked to the fulfillment of import rules, customs procedures and approvals of the competent authorities, according to the specified track for the shipment within the framework of the risk management system.
Integration between the two Resolutions 486 and 32
The integration between Resolutions No. 486 of 2025 and No. 32 of 2026 reflects a progressive regulatory approach. This approach began by setting technical and regulatory controls that target controlling the solar energy systems market and verifying products quality, then moved to providing an easy track for shipments that prove their conformity in advance.
Resolution No. 486 of 2025 specified the regulatory framework for importing these products, while Resolution No. 32 of 2026 provided facilities for goods imported from registered producers, or accompanied by approved inspection and audit certificates, without prejudice to the GOEIC’s right to verify the constant conformity.
Supporting sustainable trade and renewable energy
The decision contributes to reducing the time and cost of repeated inspection procedures for the compliant products, reducing delays in shipments at ports, and improving the regularity of the flow of solar energy system components to the Egyptian market.
The Resolution also supports the ability of companies to plan the timeline for implementing renewable energy projects, and encourages producers to apply quality systems and obtain the necessary accreditations, in addition to promoting the recognition of inspection and testing results issued by accreditation bodies.
The Resolution embodies the balance between facilitating trade and tightening the control, through accelerating the procedures for completed shipments, and directing laboratory examination efforts towards the highest-risk shipments, in a way that protects the market and the consumer, preserves the efficiency and operational life of solar energy products, and supports the country’s direction towards a green economy and sustainable development.
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