RIYADH: Egypt’s trade deficit widened 20.2 percent year on year to $4.8 billion in April, compared with $4 billion in the same month a year earlier, as imports continued to outpace a strong recovery in exports, official data showed.
According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics’ monthly foreign trade bulletin, exports rose 21.1 percent to $5.1 billion from $4.2 billion in April 2025, while imports increased 20.7 percent to $9.9 billion from $8.2 billion.
Export growth was driven by higher shipments of petroleum products, which rose 44.8 percent, ready-made garments, which increased 30 percent, and fresh fruit, which climbed 62.6 percent. Exports of pasta and miscellaneous food preparations rose 6.8 percent.
Several export categories recorded declines during the month. Fertilizer exports fell 58.4 percent, while exports of iron bars, rods, angles and wire dropped 37.6 percent. Potato exports declined 51.2 percent, and dried legumes fell 4.4 percent.
Elsewhere in the region, trade balances were mixed. Turkiye’s April trade deficit narrowed 29.8 percent year on year to $8.5 billion, while Jordan’s fell 26.7 percent to 787 million dinars ($1.11 billion).
Morocco’s trade deficit, meanwhile, widened 18.4 percent in the first four months of 2026 to 127 billion dirhams ($13.6 billion), while Tunisia recorded an April deficit of 2.29 billion dinars ($777 million). Saudi Arabia remained in surplus, with its April trade surplus more than doubling to SR25.4 billion ($6.77 billion).
On the import side, Egypt recorded higher purchases of key commodities and production inputs. Imports of raw iron and steel materials rose 6.5 percent, wheat imports increased 57.5 percent, copper and copper products climbed 84.1 percent, and plastics in primary forms rose 16.3 percent.
Imports of other commodities declined. Petroleum product imports fell 4.4 percent, organic and inorganic chemicals dropped 11.1 percent, passenger car imports decreased 22.5 percent, and refined oil imports fell 6.7 percent.
