Exports of construction materials' sector rose 3 percent in 2017, registering $5.08 billion, compared to $4.92 billion a year earlier, the Export Council for Building Materials (ECBM) said in a report. The exports of metal industries sector increased 1 percent to reach $3.9 billion in 2017, up from $3.8 billion in the previous year, as iron exports soared 97 percent posting $863 million from $438 million in 2016, according to the report. Copper exports recorded $237 million last year, up from $162 million in 2016, marking an increase of 47 percent. Moreover, dielectric materials' exports went up 17 percent to $23 million, compared to $20 million in 2016. According to the report, glass exports registered $339 million in 2017, compared to $240 million in 2016. Egypt's cement exports increased 49 percent during 2017 to record $94 million, compared to $63 million in 2016, according to a report from the General Organization for Exports and Imports Control. The report showed that ceramic exports also surged 29 percent to reach $158 million, up from $122 million. Libya ranked at the top of the countries importing local cement and ceramic in 2017, with a total value of $49.5 million, the report stated.
