Cairo: Egypt's exports rose 3.58% year-on-year in May 2026 to $4.53 billion, from $4.37 billion in the same month in 2025, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) said on Sunday, August 9, 2026.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the figures were included in CAPMAS's monthly bulletin on foreign trade data for May 2026. The increase was driven by higher exports of several commodities, including fresh fruit, up 40.3%, fertilizers, up 9.4%, plastics in primary forms, up 29.1%, and crude oil, up 56.4%.

The rise in exports was partly offset by declines in exports of ready-made garments, down 10.4%, pasta and assorted food preparations, down 12.6%, iron bars, rods, angles and wires, down 50.2%, and carpets and rugs, down 12.4%.

Imports increased 1.72% to $8.52 billion in May 2026 from $8.37 billion a year earlier, driven by higher imports of natural gas, up 96.8%, petroleum products, up 18.2%, raw materials of iron or steel, up 3.3%, and wheat, up 33.5%.

Conversely, imports of plastics in primary forms fell 15.6%, pharmaceutical products and medicines declined 39.1%, maize fell 4.0%, and organic and inorganic chemicals dropped 24.9%, CAPMAS reported.

Egypt's trade deficit narrowed slightly to $3.99 billion in May from $4.00 billion in the same month last year, a decline of 0.30%.