According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) bulletin on foreign trade in August 2018, exports value decrease by 12.2%, falling to $1.98bn during August 2018, versus $2.26bn for the same month of the previous year. This is due to the decrease in the value of some commodities such as garments 19.3%, plastics in primary forms 22.6%, food preparations 5.6%, and carpets 20.1%. Meanwhile, exports value of some commodities increased during August 2018, versus the same month of previous year such as crude oil by 22.5%, fertilisers by 19.3%, petroleum products by 86.2% , flat rolled iron products by 29.2%. The CAPMAS added that imports value increased by 0.3% reaching $5.94bn during August 2018, versus $5.92bn for the same month of the previous year, due to the increased value of some commodities such as crude oil by 83.7 %, raw iron and steel by 0.3%, vehicles by 29.2%, and pharmaceutical products by 2.6%. Imports of some commodities decreased in August 2018, versus the same month of the previous year such as petroleum products by 8.6%, plastics in primary forms by 6.1%, wheat by 31.7%, and meat by 15%.
