Egypt’s Non-Oil Exports Surge 19% in First Ten Months of 2025

Egypt’s non-oil merchandise exports recorded a strong upswing in the first ten months of 2025, rising 18.6% year-on-year to nearly $40 billion, according to Essam El-Naggar, head of the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC). 

The rebound comes at a critical time for the Egyptian economy as the government intensifies efforts to boost foreign currency inflows amid regional disruptions affecting the Suez Canal.

El-Naggar, speaking on Sunday at a local industry event, attributed the growth to higher export volumes across several key industrial sectors, most notably building materials, chemicals, and engineering industries. 

These categories have led Egypt’s export momentum for the second consecutive year, supported by rising global demand and expanded production capacity in domestic factories.

According to GOEIC’s projections, Egypt’s non-oil exports are on track to reach between $48 billion and $50 billion by year’s end, marking one of the strongest export performances in the country’s recent history. Such growth would bring Egypt closer to its long-term target of boosting total goods exports to $145 billion by 2030, most of which are expected to come from industrial output rather than raw materials.

The government has positioned export growth as a cornerstone of its foreign exchange strategy, alongside revenues from tourism, the Suez Canal, remittances, and foreign investments. With Suez Canal income declining this year due to the Red Sea shipping disruptions caused by attacks on commercial vessels, robust export activity has become even more crucial.

To sustain the momentum, Egypt has rolled out a restructured export-support framework that ties incentives to higher local value added. Under the updated scheme, companies must increase the domestic component of their products by at least 5% annually, maintaining a minimum threshold of 35%, in order to qualify for export rebates.

The government has also sharply increased budget allocations for export support programs. The 2025–2026 fiscal budget raises export incentives to 45 billion EGP, nearly double the previous year’s 23 billion EGP, in an effort to expand refund schemes and reinforce the competitiveness of Egyptian products in international markets.

Last year, Egypt’s total exports grew 5.4% to $44.8 billion, with non-oil exports accounting for $39.4 billion, according to CAPMAS. The continued rise in 2025 has helped cushion the foreign exchange gap created by weaker Suez Canal earnings and global shipping volatility.

Analysts note that the concentration of export growth in higher-value industrial sectors reflects a structural shift in Egypt’s manufacturing base, supported by investment incentives, improved logistics, and ongoing efforts to integrate local producers into global supply chains.