Egyptian non-petroleum exports rose by 2.4 percent during January-July 2016 to US$11.6 billion opposed to US$11.3 billion a year earlier. According to the foreign trade data, around seven industrial sectors witnessed massive decline during the first seven months of 2016 despite the rise in total exports volume. The seven sectors include engineering, electronic, ready-made clothes, textiles, leather, and medical industries. Building materials and metallurgy industries sector was the largest exporter by the end of July 2016 as it attained exports estimated at US$2.6 billion opposed to US$1.9 billion in July 2015, marking a 34 percent-increase. Following building materials, chemical industries sector was the second largest exporter with exports worth US$1.8 billion in January-July 2016 compared to US$1.6 billion at the same period of 2015, making a 9 percent rise. In January-July 2016 exports of food industries sector steadied at US$1.6 billion, compared to the volume achieved a year earlier. The data -of which Amwal Al Ghad got a copy- stated that exports of agricultural crops also stood at US$1.5 billion similar to furniture exports that steadied at US$213 million. Meanwhile, exports of books and detergents boosted by 100 percent to US$16 million during the seven first months of 2016 versus US$8 million at the same period of 2015. On other side, handicrafts exports fell in January-July 2016 by 15 percent from US$851 million to US$723 million. Similarly, ready-made exports witnessed a 14 percent drop during the first seven months of 2016 as they recorded US$707 million opposed to US$826 million at the same period of 2015. Moreover, exports of textiles declined by 13 percent during the first seven months of 2016 to US$458 million opposed to US$530 million at the same period of 2015.
