Egyptian Exports to China Surge by Nearly 200 Percent in Early 2026

According to data released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), Egyptian exports to China experienced a remarkable surge of 199.8 percent during the first half of 2026. This growth brought bilateral trade between Egypt and China to a total of US$11.3 billion, although a wide trade deficit remains in favor of China, whose primary exports to Egypt centered on the electrical machinery and automotive sectors.

CAPMAS issued a comprehensive report detailing that the value of Egyptian exports to China climbed to $840.8 million in the first half of 2026, compared to $280.5 million during the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, Egyptian imports from China reached $10.4 billion in the first half of 2026, up from $9.1 billion in the previous year, reflecting a 14.3 percent increase. Consequently, total trade exchange between the two nations grew by 21.5 percent.

The leading commodity groups exported by Egypt to China during this period included fuels, mineral oils, and distillation products valued at $494 million, followed by vegetables and fruits at $150.6 million, cotton and vegetable textile fibers at $76.4 million, natural calcium phosphate at $31 million, and organic and inorganic chemical products at $21 million.

Conversely, Egypt's imports from China were dominated by machinery and electrical and mechanical appliances totaling $4.1 billion, cars, tractors, and bicycles at $1.2 billion, iron, steel, and their products at $930.7 million, plastics at $524 million, and organic and inorganic chemical products at $423.7 million.

Additionally, financial remittances from Egyptians working in China reached $23.3 million during the 2024/2025 fiscal year, rising from $19.5 million in the 2023/2024 fiscal year. Remittances from Chinese workers in Egypt reached $3.5 million in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, compared to $3.1 million in the preceding fiscal year. Demographic notes from the period recorded Egypt's population at 109.4 million and China's at 1.4 billion, with approximately 8,000 Egyptians residing in the People's Republic of China by the end of 2024.