Trade and Industry Minister Ahmed Samir reported a significant 6% growth in Egypt's merchandise exports for January and February 2024, reaching a total of $6.12bn. This marks an increase from the $5.8bn, recorded during the same period in 2023. The minister highlighted that this year's export volume for the initial two months has surpassed the figures for the corresponding period in both 2022 and 2021. During January and February, the primary markets for Egyptian exports were Turkey ($551m), Saudi Arabia ($511m), Italy ($395m), Libya ($337m), and the USA ($315m). Key export commodities included: building materials ($1.177bn), crops ($939m), food industries ($873m), chemical products and fertilizers ($871m), engineering goods and electronics ($809m), ready-made clothing ($465m), spinning and textiles ($179m), printing, packaging, paper, books, and artistic works ($153m), furnishings ($94m), medical industries ($92m), furniture ($43m), handicrafts ($36m), and shoes and leather products ($27m), Notably, the most significant increases in export structure were observed in fresh and dried oranges ($296m), nitrogen fertilizers ($268m), gold ($211m), insulated wires and cables ($229m), and petroleum oils ($215m).
