Apple Distributor in Egypt Reveals Impact of Canceling Exemption on Imported Phones

SadaNews - Mohammed Madhat, Managing Director of TradeLine, the distributor of "Apple" products in Egypt, stated that stabilizing and organizing the market in Egypt and putting an end to smuggling encourages global companies to invest within it, and the opposite is true.

Yesterday, the Egyptian Customs Authority and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority announced the end of the exceptional exemption period for mobile phones imported from abroad accompanied by travelers, effective from 12:00 PM today, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, while continuing to exempt mobile phones belonging to Egyptians residing abroad and tourists for only 90 days.

Under this decision, no phone coming from abroad will be exempt from the imposed fee, estimated at 38% of the phone's price, including those coming with Egyptians from abroad.

Increase in local sales at the expense of smuggled devices

Madhat expected an increase in local sales of devices subject to tax at the expense of smuggled devices, a large portion of which was indirectly exempted.

According to the decision by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, starting today, phones of Egyptians or non-Egyptians will not be exempted from fees, even if the phone is for personal use; the tax must be paid if the phone has been in Egypt for more than 90 days.

Egyptians working abroad usually buy leading mobile phones such as iPhones, Samsung, and other high-end devices as gifts for their children and families, due to the significant price difference in favor of imported devices.

The decision will not affect iPhone's share in Egypt

Madhat continued: "To be more clear, this decision does not affect the current share of the iPhone; it only corrects its status and ensures that the customer receives only the official version while retaining all buyer rights. It also improves the ability of legitimate channels to provide better offers and services. In other words, smuggled devices do not contribute to increasing the iPhone's market share in any way, but the opposite is true."

Madhat revealed TradeLine's readiness to launch special promotional offers for customers wishing to acquire iPhones.