Egypt becomes last original signatory to ratify D-8 trade pact

Egypt has ratified the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), completing the ratification process for all eight original signatory states of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation. Cairo formally handed its Instrument of Ratification to the D-8 Secretariat in Istanbul in October 2026, joining Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Türkiye, which have all completed their own procedures.

From the Bali signing to full ratification

The agreement was signed on 13 May 2006 at the Fifth D-8 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, entered into force on 25 August 2011, and began to be implemented on 1 July 2016. Egypt’s ratification date is 16 June 2026, with the instrument deposited with the Secretariat in October. The D-8 describes the PTA as a flagship instrument of its economic cooperation, providing for preferential tariff reductions, improved market access and easier trade facilitation.

Secretary-General welcomes the step

D-8 Secretary-General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood welcomed the development and thanked the Egyptian government and all original signatories for their steady commitment to the organization’s shared goals of closer economic cooperation and trade expansion. The Secretariat says effective implementation of the PTA can boost intra-D-8 trade, strengthen regional value chains and open new opportunities for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

Eyes on the $500 billion trade target

The Secretariat says the milestone gives fresh impetus to the bloc’s target of US$500 billion in intra-D-8 trade by 2030 under the D-8 Decennial Roadmap 2020-2030. Building on the Cairo Declaration on D-8 Trade Cooperation, adopted in December 2025, member states are exploring a broader trade framework, including the possibility of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

Next steps for the Secretariat

The D-8 Secretariat, based in Istanbul, says it will keep working with member states on effective PTA implementation, wider preferential trade coverage, stronger customs cooperation and greater private-sector participation. The organization describes the completed ratification by all original signatories as “a new chapter in translating the D-8’s collective economic potential into tangible benefits for its Member States and their people.”