The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) has released its monthly bulletin on Egypt's foreign trade for August 2025, showing a year-on-year improvement in the trade balance driven by stronger export performance. According to the bulletin, Egypt's trade deficit fell to $4.73bn in August 2025, compared to $4.96bn in the same month a year earlier, marking a 4.63% decline. Exports rose by 6.7% to $3.96bn, up from $3.71bn in August 2024. CAPMAS attributed this increase to higher shipments of several key commodities. Ready-made garments climbed 20.6%, pasta and various food preparations rose 29.1%, crude oil exports increased 7.6%, and soap and cleaning products surged 29.4%. However, some export categories registered declines. Petroleum products dropped 21.6%, plastics in primary forms fell 30.3%, fertilisers decreased 29.9%, and fresh fruit exports were down 15.2% year on year. Imports inched up by 0.2% to $8.69bn in August 2025, compared to $8.67bn a year earlier. This slight rise was fuelled by sharp increases in several commodities, including natural gas, which jumped 88.9%; passenger cars, up 66.1%; soybeans, surging 135.4%; and corn, rising 12.6%. At the same time, imports of several items declined. Petroleum products were down 15.5%, raw iron or steel materials fell 33.8%, wheat imports decreased 13.3%, and plastics in primary forms dropped 7.8%. CAPMAS noted that the overall improvement in the trade balance reflects stronger export performance against relatively stable import levels during the month.
