The African market is considerable, with a total population amounting to 860 million. This market offers a broad consumer base markedly characterized by considerable diversity in taste, demand scales and levels of income. Its total exports were estimated at $141 billion, accounting for 2% of aggregate world exports, whereas its imports totaled $11 billion, representing a meager percentage of its entire trade transactions for 2003. Accordingly, it represents an emerging market for Egyptian products in unexploited commodity and service sectors. Total Egyptian exports to Africa were estimated at $500 million. The relatively low Egyptian contribution to African markets was due to the high cost of trading, given shipping and storage difficulties, as well as growing commercial and non-commercial risks in some of these markets. Another reason was the presence of stable European marketing and financial channels in most of these countries, which generally added to the lack of competitiveness of Egyptian products in their markets. Efforts are being made to promote Egyptian exports and expand the market base of Egyptian products in Africa. Concomitantly, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry has entered into a concerted African-oriented program, bearing in mind the massive and diversified export opportunities that African markets could provide for Egyptian products. Thus the Ministry has drawn up a plan based on Egypt’s strategy on trade movement in the African continent, and it hinges on three basic themes... Click here to access the TAS Strategy for 2005-2006