São Paulo – Egypt’s exports totaled 1.5 billion of Egyptian pounds (USD 169 million) in February, an increase of 2.3% over the same month of last year, according to data released this week by the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade of the Arab country. In January, external sales had declined 11%, according to information from the website of the newspaper Daily News Egypt.
The main item exported last month was construction materials, followed by agricultural products, fertilizers and chemicals, foodstuffs, engineering products, handicraft, clothing, textiles, among others.
According to the newspaper, the minister of Industry of Foreign Trade, Tarek Qabil, said that the growth occurred after the creation of a support program to exports, for this year and the next, which included 1.5 billion Egyptian pounds in subsidies. The project will send resources to the food, chemicals, engineering and textiles sectors. He believes that the measure will increase the value of external sales in EGP 2.5 billion (USD 281.5 million).
To Brazil, Egypt exported only USD 3 million in February, a decline of 76.6% over the same month of last year. The data is from the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC). Textiles and fertilizers were the main products shipped.
On the other hand, Brazil sold to Egypt USD 172.45 million, an increase of 75.6% in the same comparison. The main products traded were beef, maize and sugar.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
