Arab Finance: Egypt’s trade deficit rose 58.5% year on year (YoY) to $7.5 billion in June 2026, up from $4.7 billion in the same month of 2025, according to data released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
Exports climbed by 37.4% to $5 billion during the month, up from $3.6 billion a year earlier. The increase was driven by a 128% rise in petroleum product exports, while fresh fruit shipments grew by 77.1%, ready-made garments by 47.7%, and pasta and various food preparations by 36.5%.
Other export categories declined over the same period. Dried legume exports fell by 42.6%, pharmaceuticals by 13.2%, fertilizers by 12%, and fresh onions by 0.4%.
Imports, meanwhile, increased by 49.4% to $12.4 billion in June 2026, compared with $8.3 billion in the corresponding month of 2025.
Crude oil imports surged by 141%, while plastics in their primary forms rose by 41.6%. Passenger car imports increased by 10.9%, and imports of iron or steel ore grew by 3.6%.
The increase came despite declines across several categories. Raw sugar imports dropped by 37%, petroleum products by 29.2%, wheat by 9.7%, and iron or steel doors, supports, and structures by 5.3%.
