Logistics services in Egypt.

Egypt logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Egypt handles containerized, liquid and dry bulk cargo through about 31 commercial ports, including key hubs such as Ain Sukhna Terminal, Al Iskandariyh (Alexandria), As Suways, Bur Sa'id, Damietta and Ras Shukhier. Container throughput is about 8.6 million TEU, supported by a liner shipping connectivity index of 66.67. Scheduled air services operate through 17 airports, including Cairo International Airport and Alexandria International Airport. Rail freight moves on about 5,085 km of network and handled about 1.6 billion tonne-km. Goods also move by road to and from neighbors via borders with the Gaza Strip, Israel, Libya and Sudan.

Egypt’s overall Logistics Performance Index score is 3.1, above the world median of 2.7. Time performance is relatively strong with an LPI time score of 3.6, and international shipments score 3.2. Infrastructure and logistics quality are around 3.0 and 2.9, respectively, allowing shippers to arrange sea, air, rail and road solutions matching different cost and transit time needs.

When selecting freight forwarders in Egypt, shippers work around the country’s main seaports at Ain Sukhna Terminal, Alexandria, As Suways, Bur Sa'id and Damietta, and scheduled air gateways such as Cairo International Airport. Container handling is significant at about 8.6 million TEU in 2024, and the liner shipping connectivity index of 66.67 in 2021 ranked 21 of 169 worldwide and 4 of 21 in the region.

Logistics performance is above the world median, with an overall LPI score of 3.1 in 2022, but customs (2.8) and tracking & tracing (2.9) are only slightly above the global medians. Forwarders should show clear processes for customs interactions and status visibility. Given top export partners like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Italy, the USA and UAE, and import partners such as China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the USA and Germany, experience on these lanes is useful. Membership in COMESA and the AU means regional trade handling is also relevant.

Containerized sea freight through Egypt is substantial, at about 8.6 million TEU in 2024. Main container ports include Damietta, Al Iskandariyh (Alexandria), Bur Sa'id, As Suways and Ain Sukhna Terminal. Egypt has 28 ports listed in the World Port Index, with 5 large ports and several medium and small facilities, and a total of 31 ports including 17 oil terminals.

The liner shipping connectivity index of 66.67 in 2021 placed Egypt 26 of 168 globally for container throughput and 3 of 21 in its region, with many global shipping lines maintaining offices in Alexandria, Cairo, Damietta, Port Said, Ain Sukhna and Suez. Observed FCL prices for a 20ST container were about 5,987 USD from Mundra to Sokhna Port and about 5,987 USD from Karachi to Sokhna Port, with ranges between about 4,381 and 7,950 USD on 2026-10-30. For LCL shipments of 500 kg / 1 m³ on the same lanes, median all-in prices were about 678 USD on that date.

Air freight in Egypt runs through 17 airports with scheduled service, including Cairo International Airport, Alexandria International Airport, Aswan, Asyut and El Alamein. Air cargo volumes reached about 493 million tonne-km in 2023, ranking 41 of 184 globally and 7 of 22 in the region.

Shipments that require faster transit than sea, such as higher-value exports like garments or imports such as packaged medicine, often move by air freight in Egypt via Cairo. Short regional routes include Cairo to Jeddah at 1,277 km, Cairo to Istanbul at 1,327 km and Cairo to Riyadh at 1,693 km.

Rail and road freight in Egypt supports seaborne trade through multiple corridors. The rail network extends about 5,085 km and carried around 1.6 billion tonne-km in 2010, ranking 60 of 113 globally and 6 of 13 in the region. Some large seaports, such as Al Iskandariyh (Alexandria), Bur Sa'id and As Suways, have rail connections, while others like Damietta and Ain Sukhna Terminal do not.

Road freight connects ports and inland centers with neighbors along borders of 13 km with the Gaza Strip, 208 km with Israel, 1,115 km with Libya and 1,276 km with Sudan. This allows trucking to complement rail for cross-border and domestic movements feeding Egypt’s 31 ports and 17 oil terminals.

The Egypt Customs Authority is responsible for customs clearance. Egypt has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 1956-10-26 and is also a member of the World Trade Organization. It participates in regional groupings such as COMESA and the African Union. The average applied tariff is 10.43.

On the Logistics Performance Index, the customs score is 2.8, compared with a world median of 2.6. Export border compliance typically takes about 2 days, while import procedures take around 5 days. For documentation, shippers should expect to provide at least a commercial invoice, packing list and transport document when clearing cargo with customs in Egypt.