Importing Machinery from China to Egypt: ACID and Documents

If you are bringing a production line, a packaging machine or spare parts from China to Egypt, clearance depends on one number: the ACID. This guide explains who requests it, what has to appear on the shipping documents, and where machinery shipments from China usually get stuck. Rules change, so confirm the current process on Nafeza or with your customs broker before the goods are loaded.

What is the ACID number?

ACID stands for Advance Cargo Information Declaration. Under Egypt's Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system, the importer declares the shipment electronically, and a unique 19-digit ACID number is issued for each shipment.

The declaration is made on Nafeza, Egypt's national single window for foreign trade. According to the International Trade Administration, use of the system became obligatory in October 2021, and Decree 38/2021 requires consignment documentation to be submitted 48 hours before the shipment arrives.

Who does what: importer, broker and Chinese supplier?

The ACID is the Egyptian buyer's responsibility, but the Chinese side has to use it correctly.

A forwarder advisory from V. Alexander says exporters must give this data to the carrier at least 2 business days before the intended loading date. In practice that means the ACID should be in the supplier's hands when the vessel is booked.

What has to appear on the bill of lading?

Three items, according to the same advisory:

• ACID number: in the cargo description or remarks field of the bill of lading and the manifest.
• Egyptian importer's VAT number: in the shipper, consignee or notify field.
• Exporter's registration number or tax ID: in the shipper, consignee or notify field.

If one of them is missing at the documentation cut-off, the carrier may roll the container to the next vessel at the shipper's cost. If the container sails and arrives without the ACID on the bill of lading and manifest, the advisory says Egyptian Customs will refuse it and it will be returned to origin at the cargo owner's expense. For a production line worth more than the freight itself, that is the most expensive mistake on this list.

Which other documents does Egypt ask for?

The International Trade Administration lists the standard set:

• Commercial invoice: two copies plus the original, with consular legalization required in most cases.
• Certificate of origin: must be authenticated by the Egyptian consulate in the country of origin; two copies plus the original.
• Packing list: recommended in most cases. For machinery, list every crate with its weight, dimensions and contents, because inspectors compare it with what they open.
• Proforma invoice: used by the importer together with the import licence.
• Bill of lading: the number of originals depends on the carrier.

For machines, ask the supplier early for the documents that take longest, such as consular legalization of the certificate of origin and the invoice.

A checklist before your machine is loaded in China

Use this with your supplier and your customs broker:

1. The proforma invoice matches the final order (model, quantity, value, currency).
2. The ACID number has been issued on Nafeza for this shipment.
3. The supplier has the ACID, your VAT number and its own registration number, in writing.
4. The forwarder has entered all three on the draft bill of lading. Check the draft before it is released.
5. The commercial invoice and packing list match the ACI data, line by line.
6. The certificate of origin is issued and the legalization route is agreed.
7. The machine has been checked before shipment (see our guide to pre-shipment inspection of machinery).
8. Incoterms are clear, so both sides know who pays if a container is rolled or returned (see FOB, CIF, EXW and DDP for machinery).

Worked example: a packaging line from Guangdong to Alexandria

A food company in Egypt orders a packaging line with spare parts, shipped in two containers. The order changes twice before production ends: an extra labeller is added and the spare parts list grows.

What goes wrong in shipments like this is rarely the machine. It is the paperwork. The ACI is filed on the first proforma, the final invoice shows the extra labeller, and the values no longer match. The fix is simple: file the ACI only after the final invoice is agreed, or ask your broker to correct it before loading, and check the draft bill of lading against the ACID before the containers are gated in at the port.

How does this compare with Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia uses a different system. There the importer registers the product on SABER and each shipment needs a Shipment Certificate. Our guide to the SABER certificate for machinery covers it. Egypt's ACID controls the shipment data before loading; SABER controls product conformity. A buyer shipping to both markets needs both processes.

What to ask your customs broker before you order

The ACID process is routine for Egyptian brokers, but machinery orders have details that are worth settling before the supplier starts production:

• Which invoice will the ACI be filed on? Agree that it is the final commercial invoice, not an early proforma that may still change.
• Who sends the ACID to China, and when? Name one person on your side and ask for the number at least a week before the planned loading date, so the supplier is never waiting.
• How should the goods be described? A production line is often shipped in several containers. Ask how the broker wants the line, its spare parts and its tools described, so the descriptions match on the ACI, the invoice and the packing list.
• What if the order changes after filing? Ask what the broker needs from you to correct the filing, and how long it takes.
• Which documents need legalization? Confirm the current requirement for the certificate of origin and the invoice, and who in China arranges it.

Write the answers down and send them to the supplier together with the purchase order. Most of the problems described above come from two teams, one in China and one in Egypt, each assuming the other has done a step.

How We-World helps Egyptian buyers

We-World is a sourcing and export company in China serving the Middle East and North Africa. We work in Arabic, English and Chinese. For Egyptian buyers we shortlist manufacturers, confirm specifications in writing, check goods before shipment and arrange shipping and export documents, including putting your ACID and VAT number on the documents exactly as Egyptian Customs expects. You or your broker keep control of the Nafeza filing.

Next step

Send us the machine you need, the capacity and the destination port in Egypt through the quote request form, and tell us whether you already work with a customs broker. You can also browse production lines and machines or read how to verify a Chinese supplier first.