Analysis of Egypt’s Foreign Trade in 2025
Engineer Monjed Ibrahim Yousif
Trade Expert
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Egypt’s foreign trade performance in 2025, highlighting the gap between exports, which reached US$51.39 billion, and imports, which exceeded US$101 billion.
It highlights the jewellery and precious metals sector as one of the most dynamic emerging export drivers, alongside Egypt’s global leadership in agricultural products and fertilisers.
At the same time, the report identifies the import bill for energy and cereals as among the most significant challenges weighing on Egypt’s trade balance.
It also presents a strategic vision for addressing these challenges through deeper local industrialisation and reduced logistics costs via regional partnerships, particularly with Sudan, to help secure Egypt’s food requirements.
Based on Egypt’s foreign trade data and indicators for 2025, exports, imports, key commodity groups, opportunities, and challenges can be analysed as follows:
First: Overall Foreign Trade Indicators (2025)
Total exports: Egyptian exports reached approximately US$51.39 billion.
Total imports: Imports totalled approximately US$101 billion.
Trade balance: Egypt recorded a trade deficit of US$49.6 billion.
Second: Key Commodity Groups
1. Major Egyptian Exports
Egypt’s export strength is concentrated in the following commodity groups by value:
Pearls, precious stones, and precious metals (HS Code 71): Topped the list with exports worth US$7.6 billion, recording exceptional growth of 134% between 2024 and 2025.
Mineral fuels and oils (HS Code 27): Reached US$5.03 billion, despite an annual decline of 10%.
Electrical machinery and equipment (HS Code 85): Totalled US$3.46 billion, achieving growth of 15%.
Edible fruits and nuts (HS Code 08): Reached US$3 billion, with growth of 15%.
Plastics and plastic products (HS Code 39): Totalled US$2.59 billion.
Articles of apparel and clothing accessories (HS Code 62): Reached US$2.32 billion, recording growth of 20%.
Fertilisers (HS Code 31): Totalled US$2.25 billion.
2. Major Egyptian Imports
Mineral fuels and oils (HS Code 27): The largest import category, valued at US$21.6 billion.
Nuclear reactors, boilers, and machinery (HS Code 84): Reached US$8.1 billion.
Cereals (HS Code 10): Totalled US$6.77 billion.
Electrical machinery and equipment (HS Code 85): Reached US$6.64 billion.
Vehicles and transport equipment (HS Code 87): Totalled US$5.87 billion.
Third: Major Opportunities for Egyptian Exports
The data indicate promising opportunities across several sectors, based on growth rates and global market positioning.
Jewellery and Precious Metals Sector
This sector represents a major opportunity due to its extraordinary growth rate of 134%, making it the leading contributor to export growth.
Egypt is increasingly positioning itself as a major logistics and trading hub for precious metals in the Middle East, competing with established centres such as Dubai and other regional markets.
Agricultural Exports
Egypt enjoys significant global competitive advantages in:
Fertilisers: Ranked 10th globally in export performance.
Vegetables and plants: Ranked 13th globally by export volume.
Fruit exports: Ranked 16th globally by export volume.
These are advanced positions among the world’s exporting nations.
Clothing and Textile Industry
The sector generates substantial trade surpluses and maintains stable growth, with apparel exports growing by approximately 20%.
Building Materials
Egypt ranks 12th globally in exports of salt, sulphur, earths, stone, and cement products, with export revenues reaching approximately US$1.57 billion.
Fourth: Challenges Facing Egypt’s Foreign Trade
Large Trade Deficit
Exports account for only about half of imports, placing considerable pressure on foreign currency reserves and exchange rate stability.
Heavy Dependence on Energy Imports
Fuel imports valued at US$21.6 billion represent a substantial burden, particularly as Egypt’s exports from the same sector declined by 10%.
Food Security Gap
Imports of cereals approaching US$7 billion highlight Egypt’s significant dependence on external sources for strategic commodities, particularly wheat, maise, and soybeans.
This reinforces the importance of Egypt’s strategic partnerships with friendly neighbouring countries, especially Sudan, which possesses more than 180 million feddans of potentially cultivable land. Such resources could contribute significantly to agricultural production in Sudan while generating mutual benefits for both countries.
Notably, Egypt’s cereal import bill alone is estimated to be roughly double the total value of Sudan’s exports, including gold exports, underscoring the considerable potential for a successful strategic partnership between the two countries.
Technological Dependence
Imports of machinery, equipment, and vehicles (HS Chapters 84, 85, and 87) exceed US$20 billion, underscoring the need for deeper domestic industrialisation and local manufacturing capabilities in these sectors.
Market Concentration and Logistics Risks
The data show that the average import distance for some strategic commodities remains significant. For example, cereals are imported from an average distance of approximately 6,827 kilometres, increasing shipping costs and logistical risks.
Most of these imports originate from countries such as Russia and Ukraine. The report argues that viable alternatives exist much closer to Egypt, particularly in Sudan, where production centres are located only a few hundred kilometres away, potentially offering lower transport costs and enhanced supply security.
Conclusion
Egypt’s 2025 trade data reveal a dual reality. On one hand, the country possesses strong export sectors—particularly precious metals, agricultural products, fertilisers, textiles, and building materials—which offer significant opportunities for export expansion. On the other hand, persistent dependence on imported energy, cereals, machinery, and technology continues to generate a substantial trade deficit.
Addressing these structural challenges will require a combination of industrial deepening, enhanced agricultural and food-security partnerships, improved logistics, and stronger regional economic integration to transform Egypt’s trade position into a more balanced and sustainable model for long-term growth.
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