Egypt’s trade deficit widens to $4.6 bln in March – CAPMAS

Egypt’s trade balance deficit widened to 4.6 billion dollars in March 2026, compared with 3.1 billion dollars in the same month 2025, marking a48.8 per cent increase, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) on Wednesday.

According to the CAPMAS report, the country’s exports value fell by 2.5 per cent in March 2026. Exports declined to 4.6 billion dollars in March 2026, down from 4.8 billion dollars in March 2025. The decrease was driven by lower export values of several commodities, including fertilizers, which fell by 23.3 per cent, food pastes and miscellaneous food preparations by 10.1 per cent, potatoes by 31.9 per cent, and crude oil by 23.1 per cent.

Despite the overall decline, exports of some commodities increased during the same period. Petroleum products rose by 68.4 per cent, ready-made garments by 4.7 per cent, fresh fruits by 30.3 per cent, and plastics in primary forms by 6.9 per cent.

Imports increased by 17.8 per cent to 9.3 billion dollars in March 2026, compared with 7.9 billion dollars in March 2025. This rise was attributed to higher imports of petroleum products, which increased by 16.7 per cent, natural gas by 16.6 per cent, crude oil by 90.4 per cent, and wheat by 41.9 per cent.

At the same time, imports of several commodities declined, including raw materials of iron or steel, which fell by 31.5 per cent, corn by 6.3 per cent, organic and inorganic chemicals by 21.1 per cent, and medicines and pharmaceutical preparations by 24.5 per cent.