Egypt said it will ban starting July the entry of any cargo arriving from abroad at its ports that is not registered in its new cargo information system, in a move aimed at facilitating customs procedures.

In a statement on Saturday, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait urged importers and customs clearance officers to register in the Advance Cargo Information (ACI) to help in increasing the rate of clearance of procedures before the arrival of the cargos at ports.

The registration will also assist in faster customs clearance of cargo after arrival at ports, he said.

The new system will improve Egypt’s rating in global international indicators, stimulate investment climate, and maximize the competitiveness of Egyptian exports, he added.

Around 400 leading importers have registered in the system since its pilot launch in April, Maait said, adding that no import orders for any cargo registered through the system have been rejected to date.

Egypt began a trial rollout of the new system at ports in April under efforts to facilitate customs procedures and upgrade border security.