Egyptian foreign trade surges in H1 of FY2024/2025 as imports climb

Egypt’s foreign trade surged to approximately $64.923 billion during the first half of FY2024/2025, according to a recent report by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). The country’s import bill dominated the total, standing at $46.212 billion, while exports came in at $18.711 billion.

Trade activity with Egypt’s top 14 partners made up 67.9 percent of the total foreign trade, amounting to $44.109 billion. These trade volumes included $31.638 billion in imports and $12.471 billion in exports.

Among individual trading partners, the United States topped the list, with bilateral trade reaching $5.838 billion—comprising $3.890 billion in imports to Egypt and $1.947 billion in exports.

The United Arab Emirates followed closely, with trade flows amounting to $5.671 billion, including $3.249 billion in imports and $2.422 billion in exports.

China ranked third with a total trade volume of $5.577 billion. However, the balance was heavily weighted toward imports, which reached $5.447 billion, while exports to China stood at just $130.5 million. Saudi Arabia came next, with $4.855 billion in total trade—$3.930 billion in imports and $925 million in exports.

Germany followed, with a trade volume of $2.992 billion, including $2.036 billion in imports and $955.6 million in exports. Italy recorded $2.845 billion in bilateral trade, made up of $1.472 billion in imports and $1.372 billion in exports.

Other key partners included Turkey with $2.787 billion ($1.727 billion in imports and $1.060 billion in exports), and the United Kingdom, whose trade with Egypt amounted to $2.479 billion ($1.279 billion in imports and $1.199 billion in exports).

Switzerland also featured prominently, with a total of $2.462 billion in trade—$1.248 billion in imports and $1.214 billion in exports. Trade with Brazil stood at $2.229 billion, the majority of which came from imports totaling $2.079 billion; exports to Brazil reached just $150 million.

Russia posted $2.142 billion in trade, with $2.042 billion in imports and $99.3 million in exports. Meanwhile, France and India recorded trade volumes of $1.545 billion and $1.492 billion, respectively. France’s trade included $1.063 billion in imports and $482.3 million in exports, while India’s consisted of $1.371 billion in imports and $121.5 million in exports.