The Algerian authorities have significantly expanded the powers of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, strengthening the role of the state in managing exports, imports and foreign trade infrastructure.

The new measures are set out in Executive Decree No. 26-199 of 16 May 2026, which supplements Decree No. 25-97 of 11 March 2025. The document considerably broadens the competencies of the Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, Kamel Rezig, and effectively forms a more centralized model for managing the country’s foreign economic activity.

Control over Free Zones and Export Infrastructure

Under the new decree, key elements of Algeria’s export infrastructure will come under the direct coordination of the ministry.

This includes, in particular:

• management and monitoring of free economic zones;
• coordination of special economic zones focused on exports;
• strategic oversight of Algeria’s logistics platforms.

The authorities expect that this centralization will help reduce bureaucratic barriers, accelerate the movement of goods and increase the country’s attractiveness for export-oriented investors.

At the same time, this does not mean transferring the functions of the transport ministry to the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Rather, it is about concentrating the instruments of export logistics — the infrastructure that supports foreign trade flows, warehousing mechanisms, special zones and logistics platforms.

The Ministry Strengthens Control over Imports and Exports

One of the key changes is the expansion of the ministry’s powers in the field of foreign trade control.

Under the new version of Article 6 bis, the ministry receives authority to develop and coordinate national policy for the control of import and export operations.

In practical terms, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion is becoming the central coordinating body of Algeria’s foreign trade system.

The decree separately emphasizes that the ministry will control the movement of goods through:

• land border checkpoints;
• seaports;
• airports;
• customs zones;
• warehouses under customs control.

The new powers are not limited to trade in goods. The decree also provides for the control and monitoring of imports and exports of services, reflecting Algeria’s intention to adapt its regulatory system to the digital and services-based economy.

Automatic Licenses and Protection of the Domestic Market

The decree also significantly strengthens the instruments of state regulation of imports.

The ministry receives powers to oversee the mechanism of automatic import licenses, which can be used both to simplify market access for goods and to restrict imports depending on the needs of the national economy.

Protection of the domestic market and national production is becoming a separate area of focus.

In particular, the ministry receives additional functions related to:

• combating dumping;
• countering unfair international subsidies;
• monitoring sudden increases in imports that could harm local producers.

Thus, Algeria’s foreign trade policy is increasingly acquiring elements of industrial and economic protection of the domestic market.

A Course toward Economic Sovereignty

The expansion of the ministry’s powers reflects a broader course by the Algerian leadership toward strengthening economic sovereignty and reducing dependence on the oil and gas sector.

In recent years, Algeria has actively promoted:

• the development of non-resource exports;
• industrial localization;
• the creation of export-oriented production facilities;
• the development of trade and logistics infrastructure;
• the expansion of its presence in African and Mediterranean markets.

Against this background, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion is becoming one of the key centers of the country’s economic governance.

Who Is Kamel Rezig?

Kamel Rezig has served as Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion since 2025. He previously headed Algeria’s Ministry of Trade from 2020 to 2023 and also served as an adviser to the President of Algeria on economic and trade affairs.

Rezig is a professor of economics and is regarded as one of the key advocates of a more centralized model of foreign trade regulation and a stronger role for the state in the economy.

In his public statements, he has consistently supported:

• support for national producers;
• restrictions on unjustified imports;
• development of non-resource exports;
• protection of the domestic market;
• strengthening Algeria’s economic sovereignty.

By education, Rezig is an economist and a specialist in finance. Before entering government service, he was engaged in academic and teaching work and authored scientific and analytical publications in the field of economics and foreign trade.

A New Model of Foreign Economic Governance

In essence, Algeria is moving toward a model in which the state seeks to directly coordinate exports, imports, foreign trade infrastructure and mechanisms for protecting the domestic market.

For foreign partners, this means a stronger role for state institutions in the implementation of major projects in industry, logistics, trade and investment.

RABC Media