Egypt’s foreign trade performance showed marked improvement in 2025, with non-oil exports rising sharply and the trade deficit narrowing, according to a review by Hassan Al-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade. The assessment was based on an official report presented by Essam El-Naggar, Chairman of the General Authority for Export and Import Control, reflecting stronger export momentum amid ongoing trade-policy reforms.
The report showed that Egypt’s non-oil exports climbed to $48.57 billion in 2025, an increase of 17% year on year, compared with $41.51 billion in 2024. Imports rose more modestly, up 5% to $83.01 billion, resulting in a 9% reduction in the trade deficit to $34.45 billion, down from $37.87 billion a year earlier. Officials said the figures underline progress toward rebalancing Egypt’s external trade position.
Export growth was broad-based, led by building materials at $14.88 billion and chemicals and fertilizers at $9.42 billion, alongside solid contributions from food products, engineering and electronics, and agricultural crops. Gold exports recorded the sharpest jump, more than doubling to $7.6 billion in 2025 from $3.2 billion in 2024, highlighting increased value-added and commodity-linked shipments. Additional gains were recorded in textiles, ready-made garments, medical products, printing and packaging, furniture, and leather goods.
On the geographic front, Egypt’s leading export destinations in 2025 included the UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and the United States, underscoring the continued importance of regional partners alongside key European and North American markets. The government sees further scope to leverage existing trade agreements to expand market access and diversify export destinations.
Al-Khatib reiterated Egypt’s longer-term objective of ranking among the world’s top 50 trading nations, with a strategic target to raise annual exports to $145 billion. Policy priorities include streamlining trade procedures, reducing non-tariff barriers, supporting local industry in line with international trade rules, and sustaining export-led growth as a pillar of macroeconomic stability.
