Egypt aims to boost ready-to-wear garment and textile export numbers to $12B by 2031

Cairo – August 20, 2025: In a recent meeting aimed at boosting Egypt’s global trade presence, Abdel Aziz Elsherif, head of the Egyptian Commercial Service (ECS), met with Fadel Marzouk, who leads the Apparel Export Council of Egypt (AECE), to explore new strategies for expanding the country’s garment and textile exports.

Their discussions centered on strengthening Egypt’s position in international markets at a time when global trade and supply chains are undergoing significant changes.

As part of a broader strategy to accelerate export growth, Elsherif emphasized the importance of deeper coordination between the ECS and industry export councils. He stressed that Egypt's commercial offices abroad—key providers of market research, technical requirements, and export regulations—must be more effectively leveraged to support local exporters in accessing new markets.

The ECS also plans to facilitate stronger ties between Egyptian exporters and major international buyers. This will include organizing direct meetings, promoting the sector at global trade fairs, and backing targeted export missions to key regions.

With global supply chains realigning due to trade tensions, Elsherif highlighted Europe as a particularly promising destination for Egyptian exports, noting that Egypt is well-positioned to fill gaps left by other suppliers affected by geopolitical shifts. He said the ECS will continue identifying and promoting high-opportunity markets, using real-time data and input from overseas offices.

AECE Chairperson Marzouk noted that Egypt’s garment sector is already showing strong performance. From January to June 2025, exports reached $1.608 billion, a significant increase from $1.283 billion during the same period last year—marking a 25 percent year-on-year growth. He expressed confidence that this momentum could be sustained, with full-year growth projected to fall between 25 percent and 30 percent.

Looking further ahead, Marzouk outlined the council’s ambition to raise garment exports to $12 billion by 2031. This target, he said, aligns with efforts to boost the sector’s global competitiveness and attract more foreign investment from key manufacturing hubs such as Turkey, China, Vietnam, and India.

He also pointed to Africa as a region of rising strategic importance for Egyptian garment exporters, noting growing consumer demand across many of the continent’s fast-developing economies.

The meeting concluded with an agreement for the AECE to supply detailed data on Egypt’s production capacity and target markets. This will allow the ECS and its global offices to refine marketing strategies and better align promotional activities with real-time opportunities across international markets.