Trucking & Customs Clearance
Scope
Ports · Airports · Free zones
Systems
Nafeza single window · ACID/ACI
Directions
Import · Export
Backed by
PNM Group — Kuwait, est. 2003 · IATA & WCA member since 2013
What it is
Customs is where Egyptian imports and exports are won or lost. PNM Egypt's clearance team handles HS classification, duty and VAT calculation, ACID/ACI advance registration, inspection appointments and release formalities at the ports and airports — for our own freight files and as a standalone service for cargo you booked elsewhere.
Around the clearance sits our trucking desk: container haulage from the terminals, box trucks and trailers for cleared cargo, and scheduled deliveries to factories, warehouses and distribution centres across Egypt — so release and delivery are one motion instead of two vendors pointing at each other.
Here is the flow as it actually runs. Before the goods ship, we request the ACID number on Nafeza against your importer registration and your supplier's details; the supplier then lodges the invoice and packing data electronically through CargoX, the document-transfer platform Nafeza uses, and what they file must match what later arrives — line for line. Cargo shipped without a valid ACID risks being refused loading at origin or held at the Egyptian port.
When the vessel or aircraft arrives, the sequence is: delivery order from the carrier's agent, customs declaration lodged under the broker file with HS codes and valuation, duty and VAT assessed, then the inspection routing — some files release on documents alone, others go to physical examination or to GOEIC and the other control bodies, depending on the commodity. Our agents attend inspections in person; an unattended inspection is how a two-day query becomes a two-week hold.
Most stalled clearances trace back to the same handful of causes: invoice values that disagree with the ACID filing, HS codes chosen by the supplier's habit instead of Egyptian tariff practice, missing certificates of origin, or control-body registrations that should have been done weeks earlier. Our pre-file review is built around exactly that list — we would rather argue with a draft invoice than with a customs committee.
Who it's for
- Importers who want a licensed broker that answers the phone during an inspection.
- Exporters needing export permits, Form 13 and port formalities done right the first time.
- Businesses that booked freight elsewhere but need clearance and delivery in Egypt.
How it works with PNM Egypt
- 01
Pre-file
Documents reviewed and registered (ACID/ACI) before the cargo arrives; duties estimated in writing.
- 02
Classify & declare
Correct HS codes, valuation and exemptions applied; declaration lodged on arrival.
- 03
Inspect & release
Our clearance agents attend inspections in person and chase the release desk daily.
- 04
Truck & deliver
Haulage booked against the release time — the truck is at the gate when the paper clears.
Why PNM Egypt
Licensed & accountable
Clearance run under our own licences with a named file owner for every shipment.
Duty transparency
Written duty estimates before arrival; receipts reconciled line by line after release.
Fleet coordination
Trucking planned with the clearance, not after it — cutting storage days to zero where possible.
Other service lines
Frequently asked questions
What is Nafeza?
Nafeza is Egypt's national single-window platform for trade: the government system where import documents are filed, ACID numbers are issued, duties are paid electronically and release status is tracked. Every import into Egypt runs through it — the practical question is whether your file enters it clean and early, and that is the broker's job.
What is an ACID number?
The Advance Cargo Information Declaration ID — a number issued on Nafeza before your goods ship, linking importer, supplier and shipment. It must appear on the commercial invoice and the transport document. No valid ACID, no loading for Egypt: carriers are required to check it before accepting the cargo.
What documents does customs clearance in Egypt require?
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, and certificate of origin — plus, by commodity: GOEIC registration for regulated consumer goods, health or agriculture certificates, and any ministry approvals. Send us a proforma invoice and HS code and we return the exact checklist for your shipment.
Who can import into Egypt?
Commercial imports for resale require registration on the Importers' Register, with conditions on legal form, capital and ownership that change by decree. Factories importing their own production inputs operate under different provisions. If your registration is not in place yet, goods can move legally under a licensed importer of record — a service we provide.
What kinds of inspection can a shipment face?
Broadly three paths: document-only release; customs physical examination, where a committee opens the cargo and checks it against the declaration; and control-body inspection — GOEIC for quality-regulated goods, plus health, agriculture or telecom authorities where the commodity requires it. Which path you get depends on the goods, the file's history and risk criteria.
Why do clearances stall?
The usual suspects, in order: document data that does not match the ACID filing, disputed HS classification or valuation, missing control-body registration, unpaid or contested duty assessments, and inspections nobody attended. Almost all of them are preventable before arrival — which is why our process is front-loaded.
Do you attend inspections?
In person, yes — that is half the value of the service. A broker present at the inspection can answer the committee's questions on the spot, produce the supporting document, and keep a query from becoming a formal hold. We treat attendance as non-negotiable on our files.
Ready to move cargo?
Tell us the lane, the cargo and the timeline. Our team comes back with routing options, transit times and a clear, itemised rate.