Egypt sits at a unique crossroads: Mediterranean and Red Sea ports, a 12-month growing calendar across the Nile Delta and Upper Egypt, and shipping lanes that put Rotterdam 5-6 days away and Jebel Ali even closer.

A few things importers should know before sourcing from Egypt:

1. Seasonality works in your favor. Egypt's counter-seasonal position to Europe means fresh citrus, strawberries, and pomegranates are available when European supply is thin — filling gaps in your program year-round.

1. Cold-chain infrastructure has matured fast. Modern pack houses now offer pre-cooling, controlled-atmosphere storage, and container-level temperature logging — critical for frozen vegetables (okra, molokhia, peas, spinach) making longer voyages to the Gulf or Northern Europe.

1. Incoterms flexibility. Most exporters can quote FOB Alexandria/Damietta, CFR, or CIF depending on how much of the logistics chain you want to control.

1. HS code and phytosanitary prep matters. Having HS codes and phytosanitary certificates lined up before the container leaves port avoids costly customs delays — ask your supplier for these upfront.

At Pharaoh Crate, we work exclusively in 20ft+ FCL bulk orders for wholesale distributors and frozen food importers. If you're evaluating Egypt as a supply source, happy to share indicative pricing and lead times — just reach out.