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GUIDE TO EXPORTING TO THE U.S. MARKET - [PDF - Full report]

The United States is a large market with a wealth of opportunity for Egyptian made products. Egypt's exports to the United States in 2002 reached approximately $1.34 billion. Total non-petroleum Egyptian exports amounted to $1.15 billion, representing 85 percent of Egypt's export structure to the U.S.
In an environment in which international trade is increasing and support through the Government of Egypt, donor organizations, and trade associations recently has been mobilized, the challenges facing Egyptian exporters, and those engaged in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in particular, involves integrating their products into the global economy. For Egyptian companies, then, exporting is not just a way to maximize profits today. It also represents the future of their businesses tomorrow.
The following guide for exporting to the U.S. is not intended to be conclusive. Nonetheless, it will provide an accurate picture of the process of exporting to the country as well as information on whom to contact in individual cases.

The first part of the guide is a practical explanation for those interested in exporting to the United States, simplifying the rules/regulations involved in the U.S. Customs Process. It highlights Egypt's Most Favored Nation (MFN) treatment with regards to U.S. customs duties, which grants Egypt the lowest entry rates as mandated by the U.S. commitment to the WTO. It also emphasizes Egypt's inclusion in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a U.S. government program that provides duty-free treatment for certain products entering the U.S.

The second part of the guide puts special focus on four key sectors that have performed well in terms of exports to the U.S. The four sectors are processed foods, textiles/garments, steel/iron, and wood/furniture products.

Amongst the reasons why these particular sectors were chosen is the following: The Processed Food Sector is a growing industry in the Egyptian economy, and has high potential for increased export capacity. The Textile/Garments sector after petroleum represents the largest exporting sector of the Egyptian economy with exports to the world amounting to $801 million in 2002. Egyptian steel producers are exempt from Steel Remedy 201 tariffs enforced by the U.S. government, and will receive GSP status for their exports. The United States is the number one importer of Egyptian wooden furniture in the world.

For each sector, specific tariffs are detailed along with the particular U.S. government agency's rules and regulations concerning the imported product. In addition, current export performance and future export potential to the U.S. market are outlined. The guide also presents several links to information on both the U.S. and Egyptian markets, and on export finance resources.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

SECTION I: GENERAL ENTRY PROCESS
IMPORTED ARTICLES
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
DIRECT CONSUMPTION
WAREHOUSING
TRANSSHIPMENT
CARGO EXAMINATION
MARKING (COUNTRY OF ORIGIN)
INVOICES
PRO-FORMA INVOICES
PACKING
ASSESSMENT OF DUTIES
SPECIFIC
COMPOUND
GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES
CUSTOMS USER FEES
LIQUIDATION
FOREIGN TRADE ZONES

SECTION II: U.S. IMPORT REGULATIONS FOR PROCESSED FOODS
INTRODUCTION
FDA REGULATIONS
ADDITIONAL FORMS
BIOTERRORISM ACT OF 2002
PROCESSED FOOD TARIFFS
EXPORTS BY PORT OF ENTRY


SECTION III: U.S. IMPORT REGULATIONS FOR TEXTILE/GARMENTS
INTRODUCTION
FTC REGULATIONS ON TEXTILES
TEXTILE QUOTAS
TEXTILE VISA AND EXPORT LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
TEXTILE GSP STATUS
FINAL RELEASE TO U.S. COMMERCE
EXPORTS BY PORT OF ENTRY

SECTION IV: U.S. IMPORT REGULATIONS FOR STEEL
INTRODUCTION
STEEL REMEDY 201
STEEL CLASSIFICATION
STEEL AND IRON TARIFFS
EXPORTS BY PORT OF ENTRY

 

SECTION V: U.S. IMPORT REGULATIONS FOR FURNITURE/WOOD PRODUCTS
INTRODUCTION
FTC REGULATIONS ON FURNITURE
FURNITURE TARIFFS
EXPORTS BY PORT OF ENTRY
EXPORT LINKS:
INFORMATION ON U.S. MARKETS
INFORMATION ON EGYPTIAN MARKETS
EXPORT TRADE FINANCE RESOURCES
OTHER HELPFUL LINKS

Table (1) Egyptian Exports to the United States

Table (2) Customs Duties Applicable in the U.S.

Table (3) Harmonized Tariff Schedule Classification Criteria

Table (4) User Fees for Services Rendered by the Customs Administration

Table (5) HTS Tariff Schedule of the U.S.-2002: Chapter 20 Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts, or other parts of plants ranked by 2002 value of Egyptian exports

Table (6) HTS Tariff Schedule of the U.S.-2002: Chapter 17 Sugars and sugar confectionery ranked by 2002 value of Egyptian exports

Table (7) HTS Tariff Schedule of the U.S.-2002: Chapter 09 Coffee, tea, mate, and spices ranked by 2002 value of Egyptian exports

Table (8) Egyptian Processed Food Exports versus All Countries' Exports Ranked by Ports of Entry

Table (9) Current U.S. Import Quotas and Restraint Levels for Egyptian Exports of Yarn, Fabric, Apparel and Other Miscellaneous Textiles

Table (10) Textile Products Eligible for the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program

Table (11) Egyptian Textile Exports versus All Countries' Exports Ranked by Ports of Entry

Table (12) HTS Tariff Schedule of the U.S.-2002: Chapter 72 Steel and Iron ranked by 2002 value of Egyptian exports

Table (13) HTS Tariff Schedule of the U.S.-2002: Chapter 73 Steel and Iron ranked by 2002 value of Egyptian exports

Table (14) Egyptian Steel & Iron Exports versus All Countries' Exports Ranked by Port of Entry

Table (15) HTS Tariff Schedule of the U.S.-2002: Chapter 94 furniture ranked by 2002 value of Egyptian exports

Table (16) Egyptian Furniture Exports versus All Countries' Exports Ranked by State



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