Egypt’s trade deficit reached $4.8 billion in April 2026, compared to $4.0 billion a year earlier, representing a 20.2% increase, according to the monthly foreign trade bulletin published Monday by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
The increase resulted from a sharper rise in imports than in exports during the period under review.
Imports totaled $9.9 billion in April, compared to $8.2 billion a year earlier, registering a 20.7% increase.
At the same time, exports increased by 21.1%, rising from $4.2 billion to $5.1 billion. Despite
this performance, the acceleration of foreign purchases continued to weigh on the balance of external trade.
The increase in imports was primarily driven by basic commodities and industrial inputs. Purchases
of copper and its derivatives surged by 84.1%, wheat by 57.5%, while imports of primary plastics rose by 16.3% and those of iron and steel raw materials by 6.5%. Conversely, imports of automobiles fell by 22.5%, organic and inorganic chemicals by 11.1%, refined oils by 6.7%, and petroleum products by 4.4%.
On the export side, several sectors supported the growth of Egyptian international sales. Exports of petroleum products increased by 44.8%, fresh fruit by 62.6%, ready-to-wear clothing by 30%, and various food products by 6.8%. Conversely, fertilizer exports plummeted by 58.4%, potato exports by 51.2%, iron bars, rods, and wire by 37.6%, and dried pulses by 4.4%.
Cairo remains committed to its goal of increasing Egyptian exports to $100 billion by 2030. However, April data shows that improved export performance is not yet sufficient to offset the rapid growth in imports, keeping the trade balance under pressure amid strong demand for food and raw materials.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/as/APA