Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) visited Cairo on Sunday, January 18, 2026, and held meetings with Hassan El-Khatib, Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and Walid Gamal El-Din, ministerial-level Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE). The two sides discussed follow-up measures and implementation plans for key trade and industrial agendas raised at the Korea–Egypt summit in November last year, including advancing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and exploring support measures to facilitate Korean companies’ entry into the SCZONE. In addition, Trade Minister Yeo met with Korean companies operating in Egypt to hear their on-the-ground challenges and discuss support measures. He also visited the Suez Canal Economic Zone to assess the investment environment for Korean firms.
During his meeting with Minister El-Khatib, Trade Minister Yeo signed a joint declaration on advancing the Korea–Egypt CEPA, formally confirming both sides’ commitment to pursue the agreement and clarifying the direction of the negotiations. The two ministers also reviewed progress in their respective domestic procedures required to launch CEPA negotiations and agreed to work closely toward an early launch of talks.
Trade Minister Yeo also met with Chairman Gamal El-Din and was briefed on the SCZONE’s investment and infrastructure environment, before discussing ways to facilitate Korean companies’ entry into the zone. The two sides agreed that the SCZONE offers strong potential as a future manufacturing and logistics hub for Korean firms, given its strategic location linking the Middle East, Europe, and Africa; Egypt’s abundant labor force; and its extensive free trade agreement network. Trade Minister Yeo noted that products manufactured in the SCZONE could be exported to the United States under preferential terms through the U.S.–Egypt–Israel Qualifying Industrial Zone (QIZ) agreement, positioning the zone as a potential production base for Korean manufacturers targeting the U.S. market. He proposed establishing a regular consultative channel between KOTRA and the SCZONE Authority to support smooth entry by Korean firms.
Trade Minister Yeo also visited the Sokhna Industrial Zone—the largest of the SCZONE’s four industrial zones—and the adjacent Sokhna Port, together with Korean companies operating in Egypt, KOTRA, and the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP). The delegation assessed tenant occupancy, industrial infrastructure, and other investment-related conditions within the SCZONE relevant to Korean firms.
In a separate dinner meeting with Korean companies operating in Egypt, Trade Minister Yeo heard business concerns and requests related to financing and streamlined administrative procedures, and discussed practical measures for addressing operational challenges in a timely manner.
Trade Minister Yeo stated, “The visit marked a significant step in formally advancing CEPA talks with Egypt, a key economic hub in North Africa and a logistics gateway linking Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.” He added that “the government will expedite negotiations, from launch through conclusion, to provide institutional support for stable trade and investment activities by Korean companies.” MOTIR plans to strengthen support for Korean companies’ expansion into Egypt by providing essential market-entry information, including an investment guidebook reflecting the findings from the recent visit to the Suez Canal Economic Zone.