Egypt's trade exchange with African Union hit $9.9B in 2024

Egypt’s trade exchange with African Union nations saw a notable rise last year, reaching $9.9 billion, up from $9.2 billion in 2023, according to new data from CAPMAS. This increase reflects an annual growth rate of 7.6 percent.

Egyptian exports to African Union members climbed by 5.4 percent in 2024, hitting $7.8 billion compared to $7.4 billion the year before. Most of these exports were concentrated in five major markets, which together accounted for 69.1 percent of Egypt’s total exports to the continent.

Libya topped the list with imports worth $2 billion, followed by Morocco at $1.1 billion, Algeria at roughly $1 billion, Sudan at $884 million, and Tunisia at $369 million.

In terms of product categories, cement and salt led Egypt’s exports with $700 million, followed by plastics and plastic articles at $593 million. Milled products—including flour and starch—reported exports of $410 million.

On the import side, Egypt’s purchases from African Union countries rose sharply by 16.7 percent in 2024, reaching $2.1 billion compared to $1.8 billion in 2023. Five countries dominated Egypt’s import sources, supplying 80.7 percent of total African imports.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo ranked first with $662 million in exports to Egypt, followed by Sudan with $293 million, Kenya with $260 million, Nigeria with $165 million, and South Africa with $158 million.

The leading imported products included copper and copper articles totaling $742 million, while coffee, tea, and spices reached $287 million. Fuel and mineral oils followed with $204 million, and imports of live animals amounted to $148 million.