Egyptians favor Chinese products in daily life By Guo Chunju, Yu Zhongwen
20/11/2007 17:08
"I have two motorcycles: one is a China-made Dayun 150cc which I bought
one year ago at the cost of 3,000 Egyptian pounds (about US$550), and the other
is a Japan-made Honda 400cc which I bought three years ago at the cost of 27,000
pounds (about US$4,800). The Chinese one is cost-efficient and its quality is
also good, " Ahmed, a 30-year-old Egyptian, said Sunday evening at a bike and
motorcycle components and retail store along a street at Cournish Maadi district
in South Cairo.
The smiling Ahmed cannot help showing his satisfaction at the
Chinese motorcycle, patting the motorcycle seat and pointing to the Chinese
brand of a company in China's southern city of Guangzhou.
"Sometimes, I drive
out with my wife, who sits on the backseat of the motorcycle. It's really nice.
I like it," Ahmed said with a flavor of pride.
GOOD SALE OF CHINESE
VEHICLES
In fact, there are many brands of Chinese motorcycles which have
entered the Egyptian market, such as Dayang, Haojiang and Lifan, among
others.
With lower prices and good performance, Chinese motorcycles are
welcomed in the Egyptian market.
According to Chinese customs statistics,
China's motorcycle exports to Egypt reached US$83.3 million in 2006, while the
largest Egyptian agent company for Chinese motorcycles has sold more than
100,000 motorcycles in more than two years since it began operations in
2004.
Apart from motorcycles, bikes and cars are other kinds of Chinese
products which have accelerated into the daily life of some
Egyptians.
Turning to the bikes hanging over the store ceiling and sprawling
in the store courtyard, Ahmed said, "Kul-Kul (an Arabic word meaning all) are
from China, and selling well."
According to Egyptian automobile chamber
statistics, the annual sale of Chinese cars in Egypt is about 3,000 to 4,000
units, including Chery's QQ and SPERANZA, as well as Brilliance, Geely and Hafei
cars.
Chery cars are the best-selling, with a cost of between 50,000 and
70,000 Egyptian pounds (about 9,000 to US$12,700) per vehicle and with a
6-percent market share in Egypt, while Brilliance cars with a much higher price
are also attracting more and more Egyptians.
POPULAR CHINESE
COMMODITIES
Inside an electronic products mall in Maadi, Hassan, 32, runs a
computer parts and electronic components store, where "MADE IN CHINA" stickers
and Chinese characters are easily discovered on almost all the commodities,
including headsets, keyboards and DVD discs.
"They are all from China. My
elder brother goes to Guangzhou and Shenzhen in China every 45 days and stays
there for about 10 days to sign contracts with dealers and import Chinese
products into Egypt in containers," Hassan said.
He said Egyptian customers
tend to buy Chinese products and his business is booming, adding that his
monthly revenue is between 5,000 pounds (US$900) and 7,000 pounds (US$1,270),
much higher than the average Egyptian monthly salary of several hundred
pounds.
However, Hassan said, some poor quality Chinese products are also
imported by dealers seeking more profits.
"It's up to the importers to decide
what quality the imported products should be," he added.
Besides the above
electronic components, made-in-China shoes, clothes and kitchenware, as well as
cases, bags and children's toys, are very common in the daily life of Egyptians,
some of whom joke that they are wrapped in Chinese products from head to
feet.
Furthermore, some Chinese businessmen have planned to set up a big mall
especially for Chinese products in a district in northeastern Cairo, with the
aim of encouraging more and more Chinese companies to provide the Egyptian
market with products in good quality and better service.
MUTUALLY-BENEFICIAL
BILATERAL TRADE
At a seminar with a Chinese delegation from Yiwu, Zhejiang
province in southeastern China, last week, the Chairman of the Federation of
Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, Mohamed El-Masry told Xinhua that good quality
Chinese products are very competitive in the Egyptian market.
"Egypt is now
urging Egyptian businessmen to increase exports to China, expecting more joint
ventures to be established in the future for the purpose of mutual benefit," he
said.
China-Egypt bilateral trade reached US$3.3 billion in the first nine
months of this year and is expected to reach about US$4 billion this year, from
US$3.19 billion in 2006, while there are currently 352 Chinese enterprises in
Egypt, with a total investment of about US$430 million, according to Chinese
government officials.
With the trade surplus in China's favor, the Chinese
government is taking measures to find more suitable Egyptian products for the
Chinese market to increase Egyptian exports to China, such as fruits, linen and
marble products, to benefit customers of both countries.
Xinhua
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