The Egyptian-Sudanese Business Council is hoping to double trade between Cairo and Khartoum this year from USD 529 mn last year, according to Chairman Riad Armanious. The council, which is set to hold its first meeting on Saturday 21 April (pdf), also hopes to use cross-border business ties to help smooth over a recovering but strained diplomatic relationship between the two countries. Relations between Egypt and Sudan began recovering only recently, after they soured over border disputes and negotiations for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Sudan had revoked COMESA customs tariff exemptions for number of goods imported from Egypt in June 2016 and later imposed restrictions on Egyptian agricultural goods.