Mapping Egypt’s Economic Partnership with China

Updated 9/6/2025 9:00:00 AM

Egypt and China established diplomatic relations in 1956, with Egypt being the first Arab and African country to recognize the People’s Republic of China. Today, China is among Egypt’s largest trading partners and investors, financing multi-billion-dollar projects. These projects include the New Administrative Capital, power plants, and industrial zones. Cooperation between the two countries now spans infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and manufacturing, reflecting the rapid growth of economic, cultural, and military ties in the past decade.

In this Factsheet, we cover the different aspects of Egyptian-Chinese economic relations, including investment, trade, and finance.

Egypt’s role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is reinforced by China’s Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (TEDA), established in 2008. Hosting 102 Chinese companies, the zone attracted $1.2 billion in investments, created 30,000 jobs, and generated over $2.5 billion in sales. Located near the Suez Canal, it serves as a logistics hub for Chinese goods and a gateway to Africa, the Red Sea, and global markets.
Egypt became a member of BRICS+ in early 2024, marking a new stage in its cooperation with China. Membership enhances Egypt’s access to global markets, strengthens its role in multipolar economic governance, and opens new opportunities for trade, investment, and financial collaboration with emerging economies, including China.
In fiscal year (FY) 2023/24, Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in Egypt reached $629.5 million, down 34% from $956.7 million in FY2022/23. Hence, China accounted for 1.1% of total FDI inflows, ranking as Egypt’s 8th largest investor.
In 2024, trade exchange between Egypt and China reached $15.9 billion, up from $13.7 billion in 2023, a 16% growth rate, making China account for 13% of Egypt’s non-oil trade.
Egypt’s exports to China reached $373.7 million in 2024, down 27.3% from $514.3 million in 2023. China ranked 28^th among Egypt’s importers, accounting for only 1% of the country’s non-oil exports.
Egypt’s 2024 key export sectors to China included building materials ($139 million), spinning and textiles ($57.5 million), and food products ($54.7 million). Leading products were frozen strawberries ($42 million), titanium ores and concentrates ($33.4 million), and linen ($26.6 million).
Egypt’s imports from China hit $15.5 billion in 2024, rising by 17.4% from $13.2 billion in 2023, positioning China as Egypt’s top supplier. Chinese imports accounted for 19.7% of Egypt’s non-oil imports.
Egypt’s major imports from China were concentrated in engineering products ($7.7 billion), chemicals and fertilizers ($2.55 billion), and spinning and textiles ($2.3 billion). Leading items were monitoring screens ($438 million), TV reception apparatus ($432 million), and non-electric motor vehicles ($304 million).
At the end of 2024, Egypt’s debt to China hit $8.6 billion, representing 5.6% of the country’s total external debt. Hence, China ranked 3^rd among Egypt’s international creditors.