Egypt is among the United States’ top priorities for expanding trade, investment and economic partnerships across the Middle East and Africa, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Middle East and Africa Mark Mitchell said on Sunday.
Speaking at the opening of the U.S.–Egypt Ports and Maritime Transport Innovation Forum in New Cairo, Mitchell said Washington is working to build partnerships with Egypt that expand trade and investment and contribute to the country’s economic prosperity.
“At the Department of Commerce, I lead all of our work across the Middle East and Africa... but Egypt is at the top of our list of important places to work,” Mitchell said.
He described commercial infrastructure as “the foundation of partnership,” noting that it connects energy, information and data, food, water, medicine and transportation systems, while strengthening countries’ ability to withstand disruptions ranging from wars and pandemics to natural disasters.
Mitchell said strategic resilience is particularly important for Egypt given its geographic position and the role of the Suez Canal and its ports in global trade.
“Egypt is definitely on the move,” he said, highlighting the government’s industrial strategy to double industrial exports to $100 billion by 2030, expand manufacturing and build a more resilient economy.
He also praised cooperation between the Ministry of Transport and the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) in developing ports, dry ports and rail facilities as engines for foreign investment and trade.
Secure technology key to future trade
Mitchell stressed that secure and trusted technology will become increasingly important as Egypt expands its port infrastructure and trade capabilities.
He said information contained in bills of lading, logistics systems, shipping values and records on the authenticity of goods represents not only current commercial data but also the future value of goods in global markets.
“The companies here at this conference and this event can help you protect that information to protect that future annuity, that future value of economic prosperity,” Mitchell said.
He added that U.S. technology offers an alternative to systems from competitors that could potentially expose sensitive data, security and supply-chain information.
According to Mitchell, the U.S. is expanding its financing capabilities across the region, with opportunities spanning ports and maritime activities as well as artificial intelligence infrastructure, secure ICT, energy and advanced manufacturing.
He highlighted the role of U.S. institutions including the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank) in supporting infrastructure projects by providing both technology and financing.
U.S. financing for port infrastructure
Mitchell cited several examples of US-backed infrastructure investments, including DFC financing for the expansion and modernization of Georgia’s Port of Poti to accommodate larger cargo vessels and increase storage and transportation capacity.
He also pointed to U.S. work on the Lobito Corridor in Angola, focusing on critical minerals and related infrastructure.
For Egypt, Mitchell highlighted EXIM Bank financing programs supporting U.S. exports of port, intermodal cargo screening, network IT and security equipment.
He said an EXIM Bank program targeting projects facing competition from China recently announced $2.4 billion in financing for Egypt, with $400 million earmarked for a new container terminal at Ain Sokhna Port.
“These investments and our effort are real. They’re tangible, and they are here, but there’s much more ahead,” Mitchell said.
He added that future U.S.–Egypt forums would help American companies and Egyptian public- and private-sector players cooperate on world-class technology and infrastructure.
“We’re ready, we’re here, and we want to make this work together,” Mitchell said.