Egypt’s Exports Rise 12.4% to $4.7 Billion in August on Fuel, Garments and Fertilisers

By The Edge Research Team

Egypt’s exports rose 12.4% to $4.7 billion in August from a year earlier, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics said, lifted by petroleum products, garments and fertilisers.

For Egypt’s exporters, August extended the year-on-year gains of the two previous bulletins, 37.4% in June and 0.58% in July. In The Edge’s reading, August was stronger than July: although imports still grew faster than exports over the summer, fertilisers returned to growth and exports recovered ground against imports.

Petroleum products and garments lift export earnings

Exports reached $4.7 billion in August against $4.2 billion in August 2025. The agency attributed the increase to higher values for items including petroleum products, up 75.6%, and ready-made clothes, up 21.2%.

Pasta and other food preparations rose 5.0% and fertilisers 5.2%. Fertilisers had been on the falling list in the two previous bulletins, down 12.0% in June and 47.1% in July, so August marks their return to growth.

Petroleum products appear among the rising export items in all three bulletins from June to August. Their August gain of 75.6% compares with 55.1% in July.

Ready-made clothes also rose in each of the three months. Their growth of 21.2% in August was faster than the 18.2% of July.

Four of the items the agency listed fell. Fresh fruits were down 7.9% and medicines and pharmaceutical preparations 8.0%.

Dried legumes fell 21.9% and furniture 16.1%. The fall in medicines was the smallest of the three bulletins, after declines of 13.2% in June and 17.9% in July.

Export items in the August bulletin, change on a year earlier (%)

Changes as printed in the agency’s bulletins of 7 September, 13 October and 4 November 2026; “not listed” means the item was not among the four rising or four falling export items named that month.

Exports recover ground against imports after July

Exports paid for 42% of Egypt’s imports in August, up from 33% in July. A year earlier the ratio was 46%.

Imports rose 21.4% to $11.1 billion in August. The trade deficit widened to $6.4 billion from $4.9 billion.

The agency put the increase at 29.0%. In dollar terms, imports grew by $2.0 billion and exports by $0.5 billion.

Against July, whose figures were set out on our site on 14 October (June’s on 7 September), the month improved on both sides. Exports rose to $4.7 billion from July’s $3.93 billion. Imports eased to $11.1 billion from $11.97 billion.

The deficit was correspondingly smaller than July’s $8.04 billion. July’s import bill had grown 31.13% on a year earlier, against 21.4% in August.

Egypt’s monthly foreign trade, June to August (in $ billions)

Values as printed in each bulletin, which gives June and August to one decimal place and July to two. Changes are as printed by the agency; a change worked out from the rounded values shown can differ, for example 11.9% for August exports against the printed 12.4%. Deficits are also as printed and can differ slightly from imports less exports shown, for example $7.5 billion for June 2026 against $7.4 billion.

Gas, fuel and copper push imports higher

On the import side, the agency named natural gas, up 59.1%, and petroleum products, up 20.3%, among the items behind the increase. Plastics in their primary forms rose 15.4% and copper and its articles 96.0%.

Natural gas was also on July’s rising list, up 88.5%. Petroleum product imports turned higher in August after falls of 29.2% in June and 13.4% in July.

Petroleum products rose on both sides of the ledger in August, with exports up 75.6% and imports up 20.3%.

The agency also listed four import items that fell. Wheat imports were down 44.9% and raw materials of iron or steel 36.4%.

Soybeans fell 28.0% and passenger cars 3.8%. Iron and steel raw materials had been on the rising list in June and July, up 3.6% and 4.3%.

Import items in the August bulletin, change on a year earlier (%)

Changes as printed in the same three bulletins; “not listed” means the item was not among the four rising or four falling import items named that month.

Summer exports run 16% above last year

On The Edge’s sum of the three bulletins, exports for June to August came to $13.63 billion. That is 16% more than the $11.70 billion of the same months of 2025.

Imports over the same three months came to $35.47 billion. That is 34% above the $26.53 billion of a year earlier.

The import bill therefore added $8.94 billion over the summer, against $1.93 billion more in export earnings. Exports covered 38% of imports across the three months, compared with 44% a year earlier.

What to watch:

The agency’s release calendar lists the consumer price index for 10 November 2026.

The next monthly foreign trade bulletin is listed for 18 November 2026.

Figures are from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics’ monthly bulletins of foreign trade data for August 2026 (issued 4 November 2026), July 2026 (13 October 2026) and June 2026 (7 September 2026), and its release calendar; percentages, ratios and sums not attributed to a source are The Edge’s calculations from the figures as published.

Sources: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, The Edge.

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