Egypt’s exports to regional blocs, including United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA), Community of Sahel-Saharan States, COMESA, Group of 15, Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA), and D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, increased by 6.6% reaching $28.7bn in 2018, up from $26.9bn in 2017, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
In its annual bulletin of Egypt’s trade exchange in 2018, the CAPMAS added that Egypt’s exports to GAFTA topped the list, valued at $9.4bn in 2018, down from $9.8bn in 2017, a decrease of 3.5%.
Moreover, the CAPMAS revealed that COMESA ranked last, as Egypt’s exports to the African bloc reached $1.9bn last year.
On the other hand, the total value of Egypt’s imports from these blocs reached $36.8bn in 2018, up from $30.6bn in 2017, an increase of 20.4%.
“Egypt’s imports from GAFTA ranked first, valued at $12.9bn in 2018 versus $9.8bn in 2017, an increase of 32.2%,” the CAPMAS revealed.
Furthermore, the CAPMAS also disclosed that Egypt’s imports from COMESA ranked last, valued at $1.0bn in 2018, up from $0.6bn in 2017, an increase of 64.4%.
The report also addressed Egypt’s trade exchange with other blocs that do not include Egypt, including European Union (EU), North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). Egypt’s exports to these blocs reached $12bn in 2018, up from $10.1bn in 2017, a hike of 18.7%.
Egypt’s exports to EU ranked first, reaching $9.0bn in 2018. While the Egyptian exports to EFTA came at last place with a total value of $0.2bn in 2018 versus $0.4bn in 2017, a decrease of 38.4%.
“Total value of Egypt’s imports from the aforementioned blocs reached $37.2bn in 2018 against $32.6bn in 2017, an increase of 14.1%,” the CAPMAS reported.
It also revealed that Egypt imports from EU ranked first, valued at $21.8bn in 2018, up from $20.1bn in 2017, an increase of 8.8%.
The EFTA’s exports to Egypt came in last place, with a total value of $1.6bn in 2018, compared to $0.9bn in 2017, an increase of 67.1%.
