Egypt’s trade deficit narrows to $3.42b in Jan 

FeaturedEgypt NewsIndustry & Trade
By Aya Anwar

Egypt’s trade balance recorded a deficit of $3.42 billion in January 2025, slightly lower than the $3.44 billion recorded in the same month of 2024, marking a 0.58 per cent decrease, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Exports

Exports rose by 20.1 per cent to $4.36 billion in January 2025, compared to $3.63 billion in January 2024. The increase was supported by higher export values of key goods including:

  • Ready-made garments, which rose by 15.0 per cent,
  • Pasta and various food preparations by 31.0 per cent,
  • Iron bars, rods and wires by 24.7 per cent,
  • Dry pulses by 15.6 per cent.

Conversely, the value of exports declined for some products:

  • Fresh fruits fell by 0.2 per cent,
  • Petroleum products by 12.9 per cent,
  • Fertilisers by 25.0 per cent,
  • Primary forms of plastics by 16.0 per cent.

Imports 

Imports increased by 10.1 per cent to $7.78 billion in January 2025, up from $7.07 billion a year earlier. This was driven by a surge in imports of:

  • Natural gas, which jumped by 145.5 per cent,
  • wheat (22.5 per cent),
  • organic and inorganic chemicals (13.3 per cent),
  • primary forms of plastics (3.1 per cent).

Meanwhile, the value of imports declined for several items, including:

  • Petroleum products (down 13.0 per cent),
  • Paw materials of iron or steel (10.7 per cent),
  • Pharmaceuticals (0.1 per cent),
  • Passenger cars (33.7 per cent).

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
Subediting: M. S. Salama

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