Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Egypt targets higher ceramic exports
Egypt’s Minister of Industry, Khaled Hashem, held extensive talks with leading ceramic and porcelain manufacturers to address the sector’s financial and operational challenges, the ministry announced on Monday.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Petroleum, the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), and the Industrial Development Authority also participated in the meeting.
According to the Industry Ministry, discussions focused on several key issues facing the sector, including accumulated natural gas debts owed by factories to the Ministry of Petroleum, the impact of global energy price fluctuations, limited liquidity hindering companies’ ability to upgrade production lines, and export restrictions imposed by some foreign markets. Manufacturers also expressed interest in increasing their participation in reconstruction projects in neighboring countries.
Minister Hashem stressed that the government is committed to strengthening the ceramic industry and increasing the proportion of locally sourced components in its products to boost competitiveness in both domestic and export markets. He emphasized that closer collaboration between the government and manufacturers is essential to expand production and increase exports, in line with Egypt’s economic development goals.
Hashem called for an agreement between manufacturers, EGAS, and the Ministry of Petroleum on a legal framework to restructure outstanding natural gas debts. He underlined that full compliance with repayment plans is crucial to ensuring the sector’s operational stability, enabling factories to grow, expand capacity, and increase exports.
The minister also announced plans for additional meetings in the coming months to discuss future expansion strategies for ceramic and porcelain manufacturers in Egypt. He directed the ministry’s industrial affairs department to conduct a comprehensive study on domestic market needs, production capacity, export volumes, and key international markets, in order to identify growth opportunities and support a clearer long‑term strategy for the sector.