Egypt’s Investment Minister holds talks in Washington to boost US trade, African market access

Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid, held a series of high-level bilateral meetings in Washington, DC, on the sidelines of the B20 USA 2026 Business Summit, to strengthen trade and investment ties with the United States and expand cooperation with international financial institutions.

Accompanied by Egypt’s Ambassador to the United States, Mohamed El-Molla, Farid met with senior US government officials, global financial institutions, and African banking leaders to address trade barriers, deepen capital market cooperation, and promote Egyptian exports across African markets.

Addressing trade barriers with USTR

In a key bilateral meeting, Farid met with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer to review the economic partnership and discuss bilateral trade flows.

Farid reaffirmed Cairo’s commitment to facilitating trade and addressing regulatory obstacles affecting Egyptian goods in the US market.

The two sides also discussed recent changes in US trade policy and international market dynamics, agreeing to maintain regular consultations to help ensure the competitiveness of Egyptian exports.

Exploring innovative financing with Morgan Stanley

During a meeting with senior representatives of investment bank Morgan Stanley, Farid outlined Egypt’s strategy to expand private sector participation, modernise capital markets, and strengthen the presence of Egyptian companies in international financial centres.

Discussions covered structured financing solutions backed by future cash flows, particularly in high-yield sectors such as oil and gas and tourism.

The proposed cooperation also aims to restructure the financial frameworks of state-owned enterprises to improve asset efficiency, maximise returns, and enhance their international competitiveness.

Another priority is facilitating large-scale initial public offerings (IPOs) and international investment transactions to strengthen Egypt’s position on the global investment map.

Morgan Stanley representatives expressed interest in working with Egyptian authorities and said they would submit technical and financial proposals in the coming period.

Expanding investment through Standard Bank

Highlighting Egypt’s position as a gateway to African markets, Farid also met with Sim Tshabalala, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest lender by assets.

Tshabalala highlighted the bank’s intention to leverage its presence in 21 African countries, alongside its representative office in Cairo, to provide trade finance and strengthen business links between Egyptian companies and regional partners.

Farid outlined Egypt’s efforts to capitalise on African trade agreements and invited Standard Bank to participate in the government’s state-ownership policy programme, particularly the planned offering of Misr Life Insurance.