BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 3. Egyptian exports to China surged by approximately 200 percent year-on-year to $840.8 million in the first six months of 2026, up from $280.5 million in the same period in 2025, according to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) released on Monday, TurkicWorld reports via ahram.
The figures were released as Chinese President Xi Jinping is making a two-day state visit to Egypt, his first in a decade, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The two countries are seeking to improve their cooperation in trade, investment, industrial localization, technology, and defence, aligning with Egypt’s efforts to attract foreign direct investments, develop its industrial base, and diversify international partnerships.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s imports from China increased by 14.3 percent to reach $10.4 billion in the first half of the year, compared to $0.1 billion in the first half of the year before.
Total bilateral trade rose to $11.3 billion in the first half of 2026, a 21.5 percent increase from the$9.3 billion recorded a year earlier, according to CAPMAS.
While Egypt's overall trade deficit continues to widen amid ongoing geopolitical tensions — growing 53.9 percent year-on-year to $15.48 billion in the first quarter of 2026, driven partly by the economic fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran — Egypt remains a hub for Chinese goods, manufacturing and re-exports to regional and international markets across construction, textiles, electronics, energy and transport.
Additionally, fuel, mineral oils and their distillation products took the lead as the top exported commodity from Egypt to China, reaching $494 million in the first half of 2026.
Fruit and vegetable exports followed, standing at $150.6 million, while cotton and vegetable textile fibers climbed to $76.4 million, natural calcium phosphates reached $31 million, and organic and inorganic chemical products came in at $21 million.
On the import side, electrical and mechanical machinery and equipment led at $4.1 billion, followed by cars, tractors and motorcycles at $1.2 billion, iron and steel products at $930.7 million, plastics and related products at $524 million, and organic and inorganic chemicals at $423.7 million, CAPMAS data showed.
Remittances inflows from Egyptians working in China increased by $3.8 million to $23.3 million during the fiscal year 2024/2025, up from $19.5 million recorded in the previous fiscal year.
The number of Egyptians residing in China reached 8,000 by the end of 2024.
