CAIRO – March 9, 2018 - Egyptian exports to China in 2017 were up 60 per cent on the total for 2016, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said Friday. Exports increased from $255 million in 2016 to $408 million in 2017, the ministry said. The growth in export value and quantity is due to the competitive edge of Egyptian commodities, the ministry added. Meanwhile, imports from China fell 10 per cent in 2017 compared to 2016, the ministry said. Egypt imported goods from China worth $9.5 billion in 2017, compared to $10.4 million the previous year, the ministry said. Trade and Industry Minister Tarek Qabil described Egyptian-Chinese commercial and economic relations as "strong". Egypt is China's fourth largest trading partner in the African continent, Qabil said. The drop in the value of Chinese imports and the increase in export value to China has helped to narrow balance of trade deficit to 10.3 per cent in 2017, compared to 2016.