Egypt trade deficit narrows by 4.6% in August

The improvement came as exports rose 6.7 percent to $3.96 billion, driven by stronger performance in several key sectors, while imports edged up only 0.2 percent to $8.69 billion.

According to CAPMAS, export growth was supported by higher sales of ready-made garments (up 20.6 percent), pasta and other food preparations (up 29.1 percent), crude oil (up 7.6 percent), and soap and cleaning materials (up 29.4 percent).

However, some major export commodities recorded declines, including petroleum products (down 21.6 percent), plastics in primary forms (down 30.3 percent), fertilizers (down 29.9 percent), and fresh fruits (down 15.2 percent).

On the import side, the overall increase was modest, though several categories saw sharp rises.

Imports of natural gas jumped 88.9 percent, passenger cars rose 66.1 percent, soybeans increased 135.4 percent, and corn was up 12.6 percent.

Meanwhile, imports of petroleum products fell 15.5 percent, iron and steel raw materials dropped 33.8 percent, wheat declined 13.3 percent, and plastics in primary forms decreased 7.8 percent compared with August 2024.