• Egypt’s CSAG signs JV deal to operate vessels
• New line to link Egyptian and East African ports
• Move supports export growth, intra-African trade expansion

Canal Shipping Agencies Company (CSAG), an Egyptian state-owned shipping agency providing services to vessels transiting the Suez Canal and Egyptian ports, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Trust Trading and Transport Company to establish a joint venture to manage and operate commercial vessels.

The new entity will run a regular shipping line linking Egyptian ports with East African countries. The project aims to facilitate exports and support bilateral trade flows. It will provide shipping agency services, customs clearance for imports and exports, and integrated logistics services including inland transport and warehousing.

The initiative is part of the government’s strategy to boost exports, diversify trade routes and strengthen Egypt’s presence in African markets. In November 2025, Cairo launched a call for expressions of interest for Phase 2 of the Lake Victoria–Mediterranean (VIC-MED) corridor, a flagship infrastructure project designed to connect East Africa to the Mediterranean through an integrated waterway system.

Backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the new phase includes the development of river ports and a multimodal logistics corridor capable of handling containerised and general cargo.

According to Afreximbank’s African Trade Report 2024, Egypt ranked first in North Africa for intra-African trade in 2023 and third across the continent. Trade with the rest of Africa rose 10.8% to $8.3 billion. Authorities aim to increase intra-African trade by 20% by 2029 and lift total trade to $145 billion by 2030, relying in part on expanded maritime corridors to support that goal.

Henoc Dossa