Egypt’s trade deficit widens 48.8% in March 2026

CAIRO - 3 June 2026: Egypt’s trade deficit widened by 48.8 percent year-on-year in March 2026, reaching $4.6 billion, compared to $3.1 billion in March 2025, according to the monthly foreign trade bulletin released on Wednesday by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Exports fell by 2.5 percent to $4.6 billion in March 2026, down from $4.8 billion in the same month last year. The decline was mainly due to lower exports of key commodities, including fertilizers, which dropped by 23.3 percent, various food preparations by 10.1 percent, potatoes by 31.9 percent, and crude oil by 23.1 percent.

However, several export categories recorded growth during the month. Petroleum products increased by 68.4 percent, ready-made garments by 4.7 percent, fresh fruits by 30.3 percent, and plastics in primary forms by 6.9 percent.

Imports, meanwhile, rose by 17.8 percent to $9.3 billion in March 2026, compared to $7.9 billion a year earlier. The increase was largely driven by higher imports of petroleum products, up 16.7 percent, natural gas, up 16.6 percent, crude oil, up 90.4 percent, and wheat, up 41.9 percent.

In contrast, imports of several commodities declined year-on-year, including raw materials of iron or steel by 31.5 percent, corn by 6.3 percent, organic and inorganic chemicals by 21.1 percent, and pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical preparations by 24.5 percent.