Selling medical gloves in Egypt: a distributor and importer for glove manufacturers
Last verified:
Medical gloves of rubber or nitrile (HS 4015.12) pay 10% import duty in Egypt and vinyl or PE gloves 10% on the occupational-protection lines, all 0% for EU, UK, EFTA and Turkish goods with proof of origin, while gloves from Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Indonesia pay the full rate (official tariff, NAFEZA). Non-sterile examination gloves are imported on an EDA import approval and sterile surgical gloves need full registration, but imported non-sterile medical gloves must be powder-free, and every year a sample is drawn from the incoming shipment and tested before the import approval is issued (EDA import guideline). Egypt imported US$33.09 million on the medical-glove line in 2024, US$22.57 million of it from Malaysia (World Bank WITS).
Buying in Egypt?
Hospitals, labs and clinics in Egypt can order from the UltraTeb online shop.
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Supply your products to Egypt — and from there to Africa and the Middle East — with UltraTeb Market Access.
Apply — 2 minutesUltraTeb Market Access is a zero-upfront-fee route into Egypt's medical market: UltraTeb registers, imports, markets, stores and sells your product, shares the risk, and pays you when it sells.
Buying medical gloves in Egypt? Hospitals, clinics and laboratories can see the range and ask for a quote on UltraTeb's B2B web shop: gloves and protective wear on shop.ultrateb.com. The rest of this page is for manufacturers who want to sell in Egypt.
What are the key facts for medical gloves in Egypt?
| Fact | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| HS codes | 4015.12 gloves of vulcanised rubber (natural latex, nitrile, polyisoprene, neoprene) for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary use (national line 4015.12.00.00); 3926.20 gloves of plastics (vinyl/PVC, PE, TPE): 3926.20.10.10 sterile examination gloves for occupational protection, 3926.20.10.90 other occupational-protection gloves, 3926.20.90.00 not for occupational protection | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| Import duty (MFN) | Rubber and nitrile medical gloves (4015.12.00.00) 10%. Vinyl and PE gloves 10% under the occupational-protection lines 3926.20.10.10/.90, but 60% under 3926.20.90.00 (not for occupational protection). Duty is on the CIF value | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| Import duty with a trade agreement | 0% for EU, UK, EFTA and Turkish origin on 4015.12 and 3926.20 with proof of origin. AfCFTA: 80% or 40% reduction. Serbia: 10% reduction. MERCOSUR: 100% reduction on the plastic lines only, none listed on 4015.12. Gloves from Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Indonesia pay the MFN rate | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| Import VAT | 14% shown on the official tariff line. Law 149 of 2026 added a 5% rate for medical devices used to provide services; it is not confirmed that single-use supplies qualify, so we confirm your product's rate before pricing | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| EDA route | Non-sterile examination gloves are imported on an EDA import approval per shipment, using the importer's EDA register plus a DoC or Free Sale Certificate, with a registration file number where the device is subject to registration; whether every non-sterile Class I item now needs a full registration file is not settled. Sterile surgical and sterile examination gloves need full registration before release | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Typical class | Examination gloves Class I; surgical gloves Class IIa (sterile), under the EU rules EDA follows. Gloves also sold for chemical protection may fall under the EU PPE Regulation 2016/425 as well | health.ec.europa.eu | |
| Trap: powder-free only | Imported non-sterile medical gloves must be powder-free; powdered examination gloves cannot be imported | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Trap: annual sampling | Each year a sample is drawn from the incoming shipment and analysed (Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, or another EDA-approved facility) before the import approval is issued, and the certificates must carry the brand name and the importer's register. Budget storage and demurrage for the first shipment of each year | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Trap: the tariff line for vinyl and PE gloves | Declared under 3926.20.90.00 (not for occupational protection), vinyl and PE gloves pay 60% duty instead of the 10% of the occupational-protection lines | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| Trap: the public-private price gap | UPA was reported to cite gloves sold to government at EGP 170–180 a box, while private hospitals charge about EGP 1,200 (a single trade-press source) | healthcaremea.com | |
| Egypt medical-glove imports, 2024 (WITS HS 4015.11) | US$33.09 million: Malaysia 22.57M, Thailand 5.93M, China 4.02M, India 0.52M. WITS files Egypt's medical-glove line 4015.12 under the old 'surgical gloves' code, so the figure likely includes examination gloves | wits.worldbank.org | 2024 |
| Egypt other rubber-glove imports, 2024 (HS 4015.19) | US$3.40 million: China 1.59M, Malaysia 1.15M, India 0.31M, Portugal 0.15M. Mostly non-medical gloves | wits.worldbank.org | 2024 |
| Egypt plastic apparel imports, 2024 (HS 3926.20) | US$3.30 million: China 2.58M, Malaysia 0.24M, Turkey 0.08M. Includes vinyl and PE gloves as well as plastic gowns and aprons | wits.worldbank.org | 2024 |
Duty and VAT from Egypt's official tariff (NAFEZA, Ministry of Finance single window). Glove rules from EDA's import-approval guideline. Trade values are Egypt-reported CIF imports for the whole HS6 line (UN Comtrade data via World Bank WITS). Last verified 2026-09-25.
Last verified:
What does it take to sell medical gloves in Egypt?
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Have the certificates ready
A CE Declaration of Conformity (EU MDR) Class I for examination gloves, or a Notified-Body CE certificate Class IIa for surgical gloves; ISO 13485:2016; EN 455-1 to -4 test reports; ASTM D6319, D3578 or D3577 and ISO 11193-1 or ISO 10282 as they apply; a powder-free statement; and ASTM D6978 if the gloves are chemo-rated.
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Name the brand and the importer on the Free Sale Certificate
EDA wants the brand name and the Egyptian importer's register written in the certificates. A Free Sale Certificate from a country that is not an EDA reference country is legalised.
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Plan the year's first shipment around the sample
Only powder-free non-sterile gloves can be imported, and each year EDA draws a sample from the incoming shipment for testing before it issues the import approval. The landed cost of that first shipment carries storage and demurrage.
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Get the import approval or the registration
Non-sterile examination gloves go in on an EDA import approval filed by the Egyptian importer. Sterile surgical and sterile examination gloves need full registration before release.
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Declare the right tariff line and pay duty and VAT
Rubber and nitrile gloves go under 4015.12 at 10%; vinyl and PE gloves belong on the occupational-protection lines (10%), not 3926.20.90.00 (60%). EU, UK, EFTA and Turkish origin enters at 0% with proof of origin, then import VAT is paid.
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Sell to the right buyers
UPA public tenders where the product can compete, private hospitals and hospital groups, dental clinics and dental chains, private laboratories, and pharmacies.
Who buys medical gloves in Egypt?
- UPA tenders and framework call-offs. Since financial year 2025/26 these are tripartite contracts: the Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) issues the order and the requesting public hospital pays.
- Ministry of Health and university hospitals, buying through UPA.
- Universal Health Insurance and Health Insurance Organization facilities.
- Private hospital groups and private hospitals.
- Dental clinics and dental chains.
- Private laboratories.
- Pharmacies and retail.
Why is the first glove shipment of the year slower?
Because EDA samples gloves every year. A sample is drawn from the incoming shipment and analysed — at the Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, or another EDA-approved facility — before the import approval is issued (EDA import guideline). Powdered non-sterile gloves cannot be imported at all, and the certificates must carry the brand name and the importer's register.
So we plan the year's first shipment around the sample, with storage and demurrage in the landed cost. For vinyl and PE gloves we also agree the tariff line with the broker before anything ships, because the wrong line costs 60% instead of 10%, and the free market study checks your gloves against real demand and prices first.
How does UltraTeb Market Access sell your medical gloves?
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Free market study and pricing
We check where your examination or surgical gloves fit and price them for private buyers and, where they can compete, UPA tenders.
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EDA approval and registration
We file the import approval for non-sterile examination gloves and the full registration for sterile gloves, check that your certificates name the brand and the importer, and tell you which need legalising.
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Import, customs, duty and VAT
The annual EDA sample, the right tariff line for vinyl and PE gloves, clearance, and the duty and VAT paid by us. We tell you which origin document gets EU, UK, EFTA or Turkish goods in at 0%.
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Warehousing by lot and expiry
Stored and picked first-expiry-first-out, with your stock visible to you at all times.
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Marketing and distribution
Arabic and English product pages on shop.ultrateb.com and campaigns once EDA advertising approval is in place, our sales team calling on private hospitals, dental clinics and laboratories, and bids in UPA tenders where your product can compete.
“A glove order is won on the details — the right line, the right paperwork, the right timing. We do that work at our own cost, and we are paid when your gloves sell.” — Mohamed Dabees, founder, UltraTeb
Frequently asked questions
What import duty do medical gloves pay in Egypt?
Rubber and nitrile medical gloves (4015.12.00.00) pay 10% on the CIF value. Vinyl and PE gloves pay 10% on the occupational-protection lines 3926.20.10.10/.90 but 60% under 3926.20.90.00. EU, UK, EFTA and Turkish goods enter at 0% with proof of origin; gloves from Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Indonesia pay the MFN rate (official tariff, NAFEZA).
Is the VAT on medical gloves 14% or 5%?
The official tariff line shows 14%. Law 149 of 2026 added a 5% rate for medical devices used to provide services, but the law speaks of devices, not supplies, and it is not confirmed that single-use gloves qualify. We confirm your product's rate before we price it, because tender prices include VAT.
Can powdered examination gloves be imported into Egypt?
No. EDA requires imported non-sterile medical gloves to be powder-free, so powdered examination gloves cannot be imported (EDA import guideline).
Does EDA test imported gloves?
Yes, every year. A sample is drawn from the incoming shipment and analysed at the Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, or another EDA-approved facility before the import approval is issued. We plan the year's first shipment, and its storage costs, around that wait.
Do my certificates need to be legalised?
A Free Sale Certificate from a country that is not an EDA reference country is legalised, and for gloves it must name the brand and the Egyptian importer's register. See EDA reference countries.
How big are Egypt's medical-glove imports?
US$33.09 million on the medical-glove line in 2024: Malaysia 22.57M, Thailand 5.93M, China 4.02M and India 0.52M (World Bank WITS). The figure likely includes examination gloves as well as surgical gloves.
Who pays for registration, duty and VAT with UltraTeb Market Access?
We do. Registration, import, duty and VAT, storage and marketing are funded by UltraTeb, and you are paid when your goods sell.
Where can buyers in Egypt order medical gloves?
On UltraTeb's B2B web shop: gloves and protective wear on shop.ultrateb.com.
Sell your medical gloves in Egypt — with zero upfront fees.
Send us your gloves and certificates. We check demand, prices and the EDA route in a free market study, then register, import, store, market and sell. You're paid when we sell.