On 21 December 2015 Egypt approved Decree 992/2015 that requires all exporters to be registered on a registry managed by the GOEIC, dependent of the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry. Ceramic tiles are included among the affected products. Although Decree 992/2015 was replaced by Decree 43/2016, it already entered into force on 16 March.

Cerame-Unie, together with many Member States, business and trade associations, voiced their concerns at the Market Access Advisory Committee (MAAC) on 17 March and through bilateral contacts. The Egyptian measures were addressed at technical and political levels between the EU and Egypt and the discussions are ongoing. Pending a removal of this trade barrier, the measures prevent many ceramic companies from exporting to Egypt.