How to pay Chinese suppliers from Egypt

How to pay a Chinese supplier from Egypt: the short answer

An Egyptian business pays a Chinese supplier through its Egyptian bank, usually in US dollars, after the shipment has been registered on Egypt's Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system. ACI is the pre-shipment registration system run through Nafeza, Egypt's national single window for foreign trade. Registration produces an ACID number, the Advance Cargo Information Declaration number that must appear on the invoice, the certificate of origin and the bill of lading. Without it, the goods are not cleared.

The usual sequence for an order from China is:

1. Check whether your product needs the Chinese factory to be registered with Egypt's General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC).
2. Get a proforma invoice, enter the shipment on Nafeza and receive the ACID.
3. Ask the supplier to register on CargoX, the document platform linked to Nafeza, and to put the ACID on its shipping documents.
4. Agree the payment term with your bank: advance transfer, documentary collection or letter of credit. The bank issues a Form 4 for the import.
5. Pay the supplier by SWIFT in US dollars, then clear the goods once the supplier has uploaded the shipping documents.

SWIFT is the international messaging network banks use for cross-border payments. This guide covers each step from the Egyptian side. For the supplier's side, such as how Chinese factories invoice, see our general guide on how to pay suppliers in China.

Egypt's import payment rules after 2022

Egypt's rules on paying for imports changed twice in 2022. In February 2022 the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) stopped banks from accepting documentary collections for imports and required letters of credit instead. On 29 December 2022 it cancelled that requirement and restored documentary collection for all import operations. Importers can again choose between documentary collection, letters of credit and direct payment through their bank.

All of these payments run through banks. Law No. 194 of 2020, the Central Bank and banking sector law, lets any person hold foreign currency and make inward and outward transfers, but requires those operations to be carried out through banks or licensed entities under the CBE board's rules (Article 212).

Sources: International Trade Administration, Egypt import requirements and documentation; Egypt Today, 29 December 2022; Switzerland Global Enterprise, Egypt advanced cargo information. As published on 29 October 2026.

The US International Trade Administration's Egypt guide, last published in November 2025, also states that letters of credit must be covered 100 percent in cash by the importer, except for some food items. Ask your bank for its current cover requirement before you choose a letter of credit.

A letter of credit (LC) is a bank's written promise to pay the seller when it presents documents that comply with the credit. Documentary collection sends the shipping documents through the banks, and you receive them only after you pay or accept a bill of exchange.

ACI, ACID and CargoX: what you and the supplier must do

ACI was introduced by Ministry of Finance Decree 38/2021. It needs action from both sides, and the Chinese supplier's part is the step most often missed.

Sources: German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, ACI decision No. 38/2021; Switzerland Global Enterprise, Egypt advanced cargo information; International Trade Administration. As published on 29 October 2026.

The German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce states that if the ACID is not included in the shipping documents, the goods will not be cleared through Egyptian customs, and that they will be returned without unloading at the expense of the carrier or its representative. Send your supplier the ACID as soon as you receive it, and ask it to pass the number to its freight forwarder.

Factory registration with GOEIC

Ministerial Decree 43/2016, in full effect since 16 March 2016, requires factories and trademark owners of regulated products to register with GOEIC before their goods can be imported. The list covers a wide range of consumer goods, including food products, cosmetics, household goods, appliances, textiles and apparel, furniture and toys. If your product is on the list, confirm the Chinese factory's registration before you pay a deposit.

Form 4 and how the money reaches the supplier

Egyptian banks issue a Form 4 for each import transaction. Form 4 is the bank form that records an import payment against its shipment. Standard Chartered's Egypt application for Form 4 shows what it captures: the importer's import card and tax card numbers, the invoice number and date, the shipping document number and date, the goods, value and currency, the country of origin, the trade term, and the payment type. It also states that shipments should be cleared from customs within 30 days of the Form 4 being issued, and that the bank may report the applicant to the CBE if the undertakings in the form are not met.

Source: Standard Chartered Bank Egypt, Import Bills Form 4 issuance request application. As published on 29 October 2026.

Most Chinese suppliers invoice in US dollars, and many sell through a Hong Kong trading company with a Hong Kong bank account. Pay the company named on the invoice, so the payment, the Form 4 and the ACID record all match.

What the supplier's bank checks

China manages foreign exchange through the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). As summarized by PNC Bank, the supplier must be on SAFE's list of companies with goods trade foreign exchange business, and its bank verifies receipts using documents such as the contract, invoice and customs declaration. The remitter and beneficiary must be the parties to the contract. A payment from a company that is not on the contract can be held while the supplier's bank asks questions.

What it costs: published bank charges

Each Egyptian bank publishes its own charges. The table shows one bank's published corporate charges for the steps in this guide, as an example of what to budget for.

Source: Mashreq Egypt, corporate service charges, as published on 29 October 2026. Other banks set their own charges.

At these rates, a $40,000 advance payment costs $60 in commission, because the cap applies, plus $10 SWIFT and $35 if you pay on OUR terms. The same $40,000 under documentary collection carries a handling commission of 1.25%, or $500. The supplier's registration and document uploads on CargoX are a separate cost on its side.

OUR, SHA and BEN are SWIFT charge codes. OUR means you pay all transfer fees and the supplier receives the full invoice amount. SHA shares the fees, so intermediary deductions come out of the amount. BEN puts all fees on the supplier. A short payment delays shipment while the supplier queries it.

Documents for payment and clearance

Your bank, Egyptian customs and the supplier's bank each match the same details: the ACID, the invoice number, the supplier's name and the value.

Sources: International Trade Administration, Egypt import requirements and documentation and Egypt trade barriers; Standard Chartered Bank Egypt, Form 4 application. As published on 29 October 2026.

Ask the supplier to send copies of the commercial invoice, certificate of origin and bill of lading before you pay the balance, and check that each one carries the ACID.

Informal routes and the risks under Egyptian law

Some importers pay through an agent who collects pounds in Cairo and pays the supplier from an account abroad, or through a cryptocurrency trader. The facts below are what an importer should weigh.

• Foreign exchange operations go through banks or licensed entities. Article 212 of Law No. 194 of 2020 requires inward and outward transfers to be carried out through banks or entities licensed under the CBE board's rules.
• Cryptocurrency dealing is prohibited without a license. Article 206 of the same law prohibits issuing, trading or promoting cryptocurrencies, and operating platforms for them, without a license from the CBE board. The CBE cited Article 206 in a statement of 28 March 2021 prohibiting these activities.
• The payment does not match the import. A payment made by someone else has no Form 4 at your bank and no link to your ACID.
• The supplier's bank may query it. China's rules expect the payer to be the party on the contract.
• The ACI still applies. However the supplier is paid, the goods need an ACID and CargoX documents to clear.

Where Helm fits

Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank. Accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. A Helm account gives a company USD account details in its own name, with a US routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT payments.

• Pay suppliers in USD. Send international payments by SWIFT from the company's own account to the supplier's USD account in China or Hong Kong, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before you send.
• Collect from buyers abroad. Exporters can receive dollars from foreign buyers and hold them in USD.
• Finance the balance. Trade finance, such as supplier finance and working capital, is arranged case by case.

Egyptian law requires foreign exchange operations to go through banks or licensed entities, and each import into Egypt needs an ACID and, at your Egyptian bank, a Form 4. A company in Egypt should confirm with its Egyptian bank and legal adviser how a payment from an account outside Egypt is treated before using one for an import. Groups that buy from China through a trading company registered outside Egypt can use the account in that company's name. Each account has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment.

A checklist for paying a Chinese supplier from Egypt

• Check whether the product needs the Chinese factory to be registered with GOEIC.
• Register the shipment on Nafeza with the proforma invoice and send the ACID to the supplier.
• Confirm the supplier is registered and verified on CargoX before it ships.
• Agree the payment term with your bank and apply for the Form 4.
• Pay by SWIFT with charges set to OUR, quoting the invoice number.
• Check that the invoice, certificate of origin and bill of lading all carry the ACID.
• Clear the goods within 30 days of the Form 4.
• Keep the Form 4, SWIFT confirmations and customs papers together for each order.

For how other importers organize supplier payments, see the importers page.

Questions

References

1. German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce: Advanced Cargo Information system (ACI), decision No. 38/2021
2. Switzerland Global Enterprise: Egypt advanced cargo information
3. International Trade Administration: Egypt import requirements and documentation
4. International Trade Administration: Egypt trade barriers
5. Egypt Today: Egypt's central bank cancels letter of credit requirement for imports (29 December 2022)
6. Standard Chartered Bank Egypt: Application for issuance of Form 4
7. Mashreq Egypt: Corporate service charges
8. Egypt Today: Egypt's central bank prohibits issuing cryptocurrencies or carrying out related activities (28 March 2021)

This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.