Rising container costs are affecting both their imports of raw material as well as their export of finished garments according to Mohamed Kassem RIYADH: Egyptian clothing manufacturers are being hammered by surging shipping costs. Rising container costs are affecting both their imports of raw material as well as their export of finished garments according to Mohamed Kassem, a member of the Egyptian Exporters Association. Fabrics from China account for most of the country’s clothing exports, he told Al Arabiya. The cost of shipping a 40-feet container from Shanghai to an Egyptian port has rocketed to as much as $14,000 compared to $2,500 before the pandemic, he said. That has led to increased competitive pressures for Egyptian textiles exporters from rivals in Asia. He called on the state to intervene to help support the industry.