CAIRO, July 3, 2018 (MENA) - Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nasr said Egypt's foreign trade witnessed a remarkable growth from June to May 2018 by 12.5% reaching $37.562 billion, compared with dlrs 33.361 billion during the same period in 2017. In a statement on Tuesday Nassar said Egypt's non-petroleum exports hit dlrs 10.966 billion with an increase by 15% compared with $9.512 billion in 2017. The ministry is keen at this stage to open more markets, expand traditional ones and make best use of agreements signed with world blocs, he said, stressing that the positive indices of Egypt's foreign trade reflect the ministry's successful strategy. A number of export sectors have witnessed a great improvement over the past five months including chemical industries and fertilizers whose exports hit $2.155 billion compared to $1.722 billion during the same period in 2017 with an increase by 25.2%, he said. Exports of handicrafts reached $93 million with an increase by 17% while last year the figure was $79 million. Exports of ready-to-wear garments hit $646 million against $575 million with an increase of 12.4%. Construction materials exports reached $2.560 billion compared with $2.312 billion with an increase by 10.7% during the same period last year, he said. Exports of spinning and weaving reached $380 million over the first five months of 2018 with an 8% increase against $353 million. Exports of electronic engineering commodities amounted to $993 million compared with $960 million with a 3.4% increase, while exports of agricultural crops increased by 6.4% reaching $1.264 billion, compared with $1.187 billion. Medical industries exports reached $191 million compared with $180 million with an increase by 6% than in 2017. Key markets importing Egyptian products throughout the first five months of 2018 included Agadir Agreement markets which received commodities worth $622 million compared with $484 million during the previous year registering an increase by 28.5%, according to Head of the General Authority for Export and Import Control Ismail Gaber. Egypt's exports to African countries hit $1.705 billion against $1.353 billion during the same period last year with an increase by 16%. Egypt's exports to the European Union amounted to $3.068 billion with an increase by around 19% compared with $2.568 billion in 2017, he added. The main countries that received Egyptian commodities from January till May 2018 are namely the United Kingdom, the United States, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Italy and Russia, he pointed out.
