Egypt’s trade deficit shrinks by $740M in May 2025

Egypt’s trade deficit narrowed by seventeen point eight percent in May 2025, reaching $3.41 billion compared to $4.15 billion in the same month of the previous year, marking a $740 million improvement, according to data released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

The agency reported that Egypt’s export earnings increased by four point six percent, amounting to $4.25 billion in May 2025, up from $4.06 billion a year earlier.

This growth was driven by significant rises in key export sectors, with ready-made garments surging by thirty-two point eight percent, petroleum products soaring by fifty-three point five percent, pasta and food preparations up by twenty-one point seven percent, and plastics in primary forms increasing by five point seven percent.

Nevertheless, CAPMAS noted a decline in the export of certain commodities during the same period.

Fresh fruits fell by four percent, fertilizers dropped by forty-eight percent, crude oil exports declined by forty-eight point three percent, and fresh onions decreased by three point two percent.

Imports also saw a notable decrease, falling by six point seven percent to $7.66 billion in May 2025, compared to $8.21 billion in May 2024.

This decline was primarily due to reduced import values of petroleum products (down by twenty point three percent), raw iron and steel materials (down by thirty-four percent), plastics in primary forms (down by fifteen point nine percent), and iron or steel chemical products (down by eighteen point nine percent).