Regionally Manufactured Smartphone Costs Rise in Egypt After Finish of Customs Exemption

Smartphones manufactured in Egypt have seen noticeable worth will increase in latest weeks, rising by an estimated 5 % to fifteen %, in line with the Cell Telephone Merchants Division of the Giza Chamber of Commerce.

The rise impacts a number of fashionable manufacturers assembled regionally and comes at a time when demand within the cell phone market stays subdued. Some corporations, together with Oppo and Honor, have already adjusted their costs upward, whereas distributors anticipate different manufacturers to comply with within the coming interval. Retailers say the adjustments are being felt throughout totally different worth segments, limiting choices for customers who have been already cautious about spending.

The most recent will increase adopted a authorities resolution to finish a customs exemption that beforehand allowed Egyptians coming back from overseas to usher in one cell phone for private use with out paying duties. Now, in case you’ve bought a cellphone overseas, you solely get 90 days of with the ability to use it in Egypt earlier than you need to pay Customs. So, the federal government was encouraging individuals to purchase native telephones which have now elevated in worth.

Mohamed El-Haddad, head of the Cell Telephone Merchants Division, criticized the will increase, describing them as extreme underneath present market circumstances. He argued that some producers are profiting from the scenario regardless of benefiting from authorities incentives geared toward supporting native manufacturing. El-Haddad additionally questioned the value variations between regionally assembled telephones and imported options.

He known as on the federal government to rethink the classification of smartphones as luxurious items, noting that this designation will increase taxes and customs-related prices, that are in the end mirrored in retail costs. He mentioned that smartphones are important, significantly as Egypt’s schooling system more and more depends on digital platforms and cell entry. Based on El-Haddad, eradicating smartphones from this class may assist ease worth pressures.

Merchants have additionally urged authorities to strengthen oversight of pricing practices. Calls have been made for nearer coordination between the Competitors Safety Authority, the Client Safety Company, and chambers of commerce to make sure truthful competitors and forestall unjustified worth will increase.

In the meantime, the federal government continues to advertise native manufacturing by the “Egypt Makes Electronics” initiative. Egypt produced round 10 million cell phones in 2025 and goals to extend output to fifteen million models in 2026, as a part of broader efforts to develop home electronics manufacturing.