Egypt’s trade deficit widened by 58.5 percent in June compared with the previous year, reaching USD 7.5 billion (EGP 382.3 billion) as imports outpaced export growth, according to figures released Monday by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
In June of 2025, the gap amounted to USD 4.7 billion (EGP 239.6 billion).
On another front, exports climbed 37.4 percent to USD 5 billion (EGP 254.9 billion), up from USD 3.6 billion (EGP 183.5 billion) a year earlier, while imports rose 49.4 percent to USD 12.4 billion (EGP 632.1 billion) from USD 8.3 billion (EGP 423.1 billion), CAPMAS reported in its monthly foreign trade report.
Petroleum products drove much of the export growth, more than doubling with a 128 percent increase. Fresh fruit exports rose 77.1 percent, ready-made garments climbed 47.7 percent, and various food preparations increased 36.5 percent.
Other categories, however, lagged.
Fertilizer exports fell 12 percent from a year earlier, and pharmaceutical exports declined 13.2 percent. Dried legume exports dropped 42.6 percent, while fresh onion exports slipped 0.4 percent.
On the import side, crude oil purchases surged 141 percent, and imports of plastics in primary form rose 41.6 percent. Imports of raw iron and steel materials increased 3.6 percent, while passenger car imports grew 10.9 percent.
Some imports declined during the month.
Petroleum product imports fell 29.2 percent, and wheat imports dropped 9.7 percent. Raw sugar imports decreased 37 percent, and imports of iron and steel doors, supports and structures fell 5.3 percent.
The widening deficit reflects a pattern in which import growth has consistently outstripped export gains, shedding light on a trend that continues to weigh on Egypt’s external trade balance despite strong performance in several export sectors.
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