Egypt’s Exports to China Surge 199.8 Percent in First Half of 2026
Egypt’s exports to China rose 199.8 percent year on year to 840.8 million dollars in the first half of 2026, up from 280.5 million dollars in the same period last year, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
Imports and Bilateral Trade Also Climb
Egyptian imports from China increased 14.3 percent to 10.4 billion dollars in the first half of 2026, compared with 9.1 billion dollars a year earlier, the agency’s data show. Combined bilateral trade between the two countries grew 21.5 percent to 11.3 billion dollars during the period, up from 9.3 billion dollars in the first half of 2025.
What Egypt Sells and Buys
CAPMAS’s breakdown showed the main commodity groups Egypt exported to China in the first half of 2026 were fuels, mineral oils and distillation products worth 494 million dollars, vegetables and fruit at 150.6 million dollars, cotton and vegetable textile fibers at 76.4 million dollars, natural calcium phosphates at 31 million dollars, and organic and inorganic chemicals at 21 million dollars.
On the import side, electrical and mechanical machinery and equipment led at 4.1 billion dollars, followed by vehicles, tractors and bicycles at 1.2 billion dollars, iron, steel and related products at 930.7 million dollars, plastics and related products at 524 million dollars, and organic and inorganic chemicals at 423.7 million dollars.
The Deficit, on Our Calculation
The agency’s figures imply a widening trade deficit with China. On our calculation, the gap between imports and exports grew to about 9.6 billion dollars in the first half of 2026, from about 8.8 billion dollars in the same period of 2025, an increase of roughly 8.4 percent.
On our reading of the same data, the imbalance narrowed in relative terms even as its dollar value grew. China shipped about 12 dollars of goods to Egypt for every 1 dollar of Egyptian exports in the first half of 2026, down from about 32 dollars for every 1 dollar of exports a year earlier, reflecting faster percentage growth in exports than in imports.
Remittances and Wider Context
Remittances from Egyptians working in China rose to 23.3 million dollars in the 2024/25 financial year, from 19.5 million dollars in 2023/24, while remittances from Chinese workers in Egypt increased to 3.5 million dollars from 3.1 million dollars over the same period, the agency said.
The agency also noted Egypt’s population reached 109.4 million in August 2026, compared with 1.4 billion in China over the same period, and put the number of Egyptians residing in China at about 8,000 as of the end of 2024, citing estimates from Egypt’s diplomatic mission. The release coincides with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anticipated visit to Egypt in the coming days.
Why it matters: A near tripling of exports to China, even from a small base, signals progress for Egypt’s push to diversify export markets and narrow its chronic trade deficit at a time when the country is working to rebuild foreign currency reserves and stabilize the pound. Faster export growth relative to imports, even though the dollar value of the deficit with China widened, points to Egyptian producers gaining some traction in a market long skewed heavily toward Chinese goods. Because trade with China remains dominated by machinery, vehicles and steel imports against a narrower base of Egyptian fuel, agricultural and textile exports, the underlying imbalance still weighs on Egypt’s current account and its dollar liquidity needs.
Outlook: With Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to visit Egypt in the coming days, officials are likely to use the trip to press for deeper investment and trade commitments, potentially including new agreements in energy, manufacturing or logistics. Whether the sharp percentage gains in exports persist through the second half of 2026 will depend largely on demand for Egyptian fuel products and agricultural goods, the two categories that account for the bulk of the increase, as well as any new market access secured around the presidential visit.
Source: State Information Service (SIS); Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS)
