Egypt’s Non-Oil Trade Deficit Narrows as Exports Surge in Q1 2025: Cabinet Report

The Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) of Egypt’s Cabinet has released the 17th edition of its quarterly report on non-oil merchandise exports, offering an in-depth analysis of Egypt’s non-oil trade balance for the period spanning Q1 2024 to Q1 2025.

According to the report, Egypt’s non-oil trade deficit shrank to $5.6 billion in the first quarter of 2025, down from $6.4 billion in Q1 2024—marking a 12.5% decrease. The improvement is attributed to a significant rise in non-oil merchandise exports, which outpaced the growth in imports.

Egypt’s non-oil exports climbed to $13 billion during Q1 2025, up from $9.7 billion in the same quarter last year, reflecting a robust year-on-year growth of 34%. 

Meanwhile, non-oil imports increased to $18.6 billion from $16.1 billion, representing a 15.5% rise over the same period.

The report also highlighted quarter-on-quarter progress. Non-oil exports in Q1 2025 grew by 17.1% compared to Q4 2024, when export value stood at $11.1 billion.

Among Egypt’s top export groups, “Natural or Cultured Pearls and Precious Stones” led in value, reaching approximately $2.9 billion in Q1 2025—a dramatic surge from $305.3 million in Q1 2024. This group alone accounted for 22.4% of Egypt’s total non-oil exports, up from just 3.1% a year earlier, making it the only group among the top ten export categories to increase its relative weight.

In contrast, several other major export categories saw a decline in their export share. These included:

>> Edible fruits and nuts (from 8.9% to 6.6%)

>> Iron and steel (from 5.3% to 3.3%)

>> lPlastics and plastic products (from 6.6% to 4.8%)

>> Vegetables and edible roots and tubers (from 7.1% to 5.4%)

The report also includes an analysis of Egypt’s trade balances with key global partners, though further details were not disclosed in the summary.

This latest edition underscores Egypt’s improving trade performance and diversification of its export base—driven notably by a surge in precious stones and jewelry exports—despite global economic headwinds.