Ford Motor Co. F +0.71% and  its joint ventures in China sold 75,331 vehicles in the country in April, up 37% from a year earlier, thanks to strong demand for its Focus and newly launched Kuga models, the U.S. car maker said Wednesday. Sales of Ford-brand passenger cars at Changan Ford Automobile Co., a 50-50 joint venture between Ford and Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. rose 55% to 52,713 units. Meanwhile, Jiangling Motors Corp. , in which Ford owns a 30% stake, sold 20,731 units last month, it said. In the first four months of the year, Ford's sales in China totaled 261,927 units, up 49% from a year earlier, according to its statement. To accelerate its growth in China, Ford plans to introduce 15 new vehicles in the country by 2015. The company has said it plans to double its production capacity in China to 1.2 million vehicles by 2015, making this the company's most rapid expansion anywhere in 50 years. More»

The Egyptian Business Development Association (EBDA) has received an official approval from the former Malaysian president, Mahathir Mohamad, to attend Egypt Asia Economic Summit, which EBDA will hold next September in Cairo. Prior to his visit to Brazil with the Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, Hassan Malek, Chairman of EBDA, told Amwal Al Ghad that Mahathir Mohamed has officially approved to attend the summit. The EBDA is aiming to review the successful experiences, which may help Egypt economically during this period. Malek said the association will work in the coming period towards supporting the entrepreneurs, and a committee will study the successful experiences of the small and medium enterprises in five different countries, especially the systems, the available  mechanisms of finance, the administrative and executive body of the state, as well as the regulated legislations for growing the small enterprises. More»

Juhayna Food Industries (JUFO.CA) is aiming at erecting two logistic centers and refrigerators for the dairy products by the end of 2013 in Luxor and Aswan at total costs EGP 50 million. Eng. Safwan Sabet, Head of Juhayna Food Industries (JUFO.CA), has underscored the necessity of the project in order to provide 1000 job opportunities for the youth in Upper Egypt. He referred that the project is included in the Group's plan to establish industrial ventures in Upper Egypt at EGP 500 million total investments. These ventures are supposed to be finished in the first quarter of 2014. In his statements to "Amwal Al Ghad", Sabet mentioned that the current negotiations with the governorate of Al Menyia about the lands that the company is seeking to buy in order to establish investments at EGP 30 million. The company is conducting studies about the new ventures that will be implemented in the coming period, said Safwan Sabet, referring that the New Valley governorate will get the lion's share from these investments. More»

The US Ambassador to Cairo, Anne Patterson, has revealed that the $ 40 million US aids to Egypt, which were supposed to support democracy and develop the civil society, suspended after pursuing a number of NGOs and arresting some of their members. Patterson, replying to "Amwal Al Ghad" question about the future plans of the US government to reach stability after spending $ 40 million, said this sum was supposed to be oriented to the non-governmental organizations and the political parties as well in order to consolidate the democratic transition in the state and to train the people on the political participation; pointing out that that sum wasn't oriented to the citizens in the street. The ambassador added that some economic organizations and bodies are also supported by the US government, not only the political ones. These statements came during the US Ambassador's meeting with some economic newspapers today. It is worth mentioning that Anne Patterson announced before the United States Senate about allocating $ 40 million to support the democracy in Egypt since the revolution in 2011. More»

The Egyptian exports to Brazil recorded EGP 313 million during the first quarter of 2013, at 53% growth rate, compared to EGP 210 million at the same time of 2012. A reliable source in the Foreign Trade Sector told "Amwal Al Ghad" that Egypt's exports to the Brazilian market were mainly chemical products and fertilizers that attained about EGP 207 million in the first quarter. The source added that the building materials sector ranked second at EGP 64 million, followed by the textile sector, which attained EGP 10 million. The rest value of the Egyptian exports was divided on various productive sectors, like the food industries sector attaining EGP 3 million. The exporters are expecting that President Morsi's visit to Brazil within the coming few hours will boost the trade exchange movement and open new markets to Egypt; especially after signing free trade agreement "Mercosur". More»

Egypt’s imports of the Australian live stocks have been already suspended since August 2012 over passing some amendments on live import and export measures besides the government’s refusal to import fattened cattle, the country’s Agriculture minister said on Sunday. The Egyptian Agriculture and land Reclamation Minister Salah Abdul Momin noted that his country has not imported the live stocks from Australia since August 2012. In a phone interview with a local channel program Al-Hayat Al-Youm aired Sunday evening, Abdul Momin stated that the ministry strictly controls and oversee the performance of the slaughterhouses imposing stringent rules neither to harm animals nor slaughter the sick. Australian livestock exporters said on Saturday they were suspending live cattle exports to Egypt after a graphic video purportedly showed animal cruelty in Egyptian slaughterhouses and prompted Canberra to launched an investigation. Agriculture officials said they had taken the matter up with Cairo, as Australian Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said he was "dismayed" that the footage provided by animal rights group Animals Australia had not been made available sooner. Animals Australia, which is campaigning for an end to the live export trade, said the footage was shot over recent months at two abattoirs approved under a joint agreement which allowed the resumption of live animal exports to Egypt in 2010. More»

Egypt agreed to export 605.5 metric tons of cotton in the week ended May 2, according to the Alexandria Cotton Exporters Association. The country has shipped 66,021.5 tons of the fiber, valued at $194. million, since Sept. 1, the association said today in its weekly bulletin. Exports in the past week included 5.5 tons of the Giza 88 variety, and 600 tons of Giza 86. More»

The U.S. Embassy and the Assiut Chamber of Commerce recently co-hosted the second "Economic and Trade Financing Road-Show," designed to promote access to finance and trade opportunities for small and medium enterprises, at the Chamber of Commerce building in Assiut. Assiut businessmen were invited to attend the event and had the opportunity to speak with Embassy officials after the event and to follow-up with them on specific business inquiries.Economic Counselor Ian Campbell, and other Embassy officials presented on the Foreign Commercial Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Export Import Bank, the U.S. Trade Development Administration, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and explained how these programs can support Egyptian businesses.This was the second of a planned series of conferences designed to explain U.S. Government-supported tools for developing businesses throughout Egypt.  The first conference was held in Alexandria in March, and the next conference will be in 6th of October City in May.This initiative is just one part of a broad commitment to Egypt by the American people. Through this commitment, and in cooperation with our local partners, we are engaged in Assiut in a number of areas, including programs through our USAID mission that are providing support for early grade reading at local elementary schools, working with the medical professionals to promote healthy behaviors, strengthening the employability of Assiut University students who possess the skills to meet the demands of today’s job market, and training and providing loans to small and medium enterprises through the Assiut Business Association. More»

Australian livestock exporters said on Saturday they were suspending live cattle exports to Egypt after a graphic video purportedly showed animal cruelty in Egyptian abattoirs and prompted Canberra to launched an investigation.Agriculture officials said they had taken the matter up with Cairo, as Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said he was "dismayed" that the footage provided by animal rights group Animals Australia had not been made available sooner.Animals Australia, which is campaigning for an end to the live export trade, said the footage was shot over recent months at two abattoirs approved under a joint agreement which allowed the resumption of live animal exports to Egypt in 2010.Alison Penfold, chief executive officer of the Australian Livestock Exporters Council, said she was appalled by the footage but said she had visited the Egyptian facilities last year and found procedures then complied with Australian requirements."We are very genuine about the suspension. There will be no animals going into those facilities until the standards are met," Penfold told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.The video showed "appalling practices during the slaughter process", she said.Australia's live export industry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the national economy, but has been beset by controversy. Local animal rights activists say the trade is cruel and should be banned. More»

The Egyptian exports to the People's Republic of Poland soared 28%, reporting EGP 105 million in the first quarter of 2013 in comparison with the exports at the same period of 2012. Michał Mierzwa - First Counselor and Head of Section of Trade and Investment Promotion at the embassy of the People's Republic of Poland in Cairo – said his country’s exports to Egypt will likely jump 4% within this year to reach up to US$ 160 million. Mr. Mierzwa further referred that Egypt will be receiving two trade delegations by the beginning of next week. He added that the two delegates aim to encourage the Polish firms to open up fresh investments in Egypt and to foster the economic ties between the two countries. The first delegate is to work on strengthening economic ties in fields of civil defense and pharmaceutical industries; while the other  will work on field of monuments protection and security, Mr. Mierzwa noted. Moreover, Mr. Mierzwa has stressed Polish investors’ keenness to cooperate with their Egyptian counterparts in multiple fields, notably petroleum, textile industries, and infrastructure. More»