Egypt’s trade deficit narrows in April as exports surge by nearly 20%
Higher petroleum and food exports drive $680 million rise; imports also up slightly, led by natural gas
CAIRO, Egypt (MNTV) — Egypt’s trade deficit narrowed by 9.5% in April 2025, reaching $3.42 billion, down from $3.78 billion in the same month last year, as strong export growth helped offset a moderate rise in imports, according to official government data.
In its latest monthly bulletin, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) reported that Egypt’s exports climbed 19.8% year-on-year, totaling $4.10 billion in April—an increase of nearly $680 million compared to April 2024.
The export boost was largely attributed to a sharp rise in petroleum product shipments, which soared by 74.3%.
Other key sectors also performed strongly, including ready-made garments (up 24.7%), fertilizers (18.4%), and processed foods such as pasta (51.4%).
Despite the overall growth, exports of some products declined. Natural and liquefied gas exports dropped by 22.4%, fresh onions by 8.4%, and plastic goods by 6.3%.
On the import side, Egypt brought in goods worth $7.53 billion in April, marking a 4.4% increase compared to $7.21 billion in the same month of 2024.
The rise in import value was driven by significant increases in specific commodities: natural gas imports surged by 79.1%, primary plastics by 6.9%, and petroleum products by 3.5%. Imports of iron and steel raw materials rose slightly by 0.04%.
Conversely, the country recorded declines in the importation of several key goods, including wheat (down 37.5%), organic and inorganic chemicals (10.8%), corn (0.5%), and pharmaceutical products (5.7%).
Based on the July 2025 exchange rate of 1 USD = 47.8 EGP, the trade figures reflect continued efforts by Egypt to enhance its export performance amid challenging global conditions and import cost pressures.
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