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In 2022, the Egyptian government announced that feed costs increased by 40 to 45 percent. Beef prices also increased by 15 to 20 percent, discouraging per capita consumption. Prices are expected to continue increasing in response to the ongoing devaluation of the Egyptian pound and complex import procedures. Imports of Indian water buffalo increased to reach 150 thousand MT, while Brazilian beef imports are still limited.

The Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) report provides an overview of the food laws and regulatory environment in Algeria as it relates to food and agricultural exports. This report is intended to be used in conjunction with the 2022 FAIRS Export Certificate Report for Algeria. Noted updates in 2022 include: Import Procedures (Section IX).

Algeria does not develop, commercialize or import genetically engineered products. The Ministry of Agriculture’s decree of December 24, 2020, prevents agricultural genetically engineered product development, commercialization as well as import into Algeria.

This report provides information on export certificates required by the Government of Algeria.

The report summarizes Mozambique’s general food laws, regulatory authorities, major import/export procedures, food and packaging/labeling regulations, registration measures, and other trade facilitation issues. At the end, it provides contact information for major government regulatory agencies and a list of useful local public and private sector contacts for additional technical product-specific information and import assistance.

Egypt requires a biosafety legal framework. Without one, the country cannot move forward in the area of agricultural biotechnology. The absence of a legal framework impedes field trials, as well as the commercial use of genetically engineered (GE) crops.

As of September 2022, Israel does not have a policy restricting the use of imported genetically engineered (GE) commodities or derivative products. There are no changes in Israel’s policy towards plant, animal biotechnology, and microbial biotechnology compared to 2021.

Tunisia postponed non-urgent issues throughout 2023 as major political reforms, including a freeze on parliament and a constitutional referendum took precedent. As a result, Tunisia’s biosafety framework, which was drafted in 2014, remains on hold with no timeframe for a review and parliamentary vote.

Morocco continues to import agricultural products derived from genetically engineered (GE) technologies for use in animal feed products. No GE products have been developed or commercialized for local production in Morocco. GE products are not allowed for human consumption.

All the sections of the report have been updated based on website links and contacts, as well as to comply with the updated reporting instructions. The report lists major certificates and permits required to export food and agricultural products from the United States to Mozambique.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) regulations allow the importation of biotech plant products, but they are required to be labeled if they contain more than one percent genetically engineered (GE) plant ingredients. As a result, many retail packed food importers do not import biotech foods due to concerns that biotech labeling could jeopardize their product image. However, Saudi Arabia imports large quantities of biotech U.S. corn, soybeans, and their products.

Mozambique has not yet approved the use of GE crops. Mozambique planted its first genetically engineered (GE) corn trial in 2017 at the Chókwè Agricultural Station as part of the TELA project (formerly Water Efficient Maize for Africa) aimed to test drought and pest resistance.