São Paulo – Egypt’s exports were up 2% in 2012 from 2011, and reached US$ 20.1 billion, i.e. 132 billion Egyptian pounds, exceeding the 130 billion pound target set by the Egyptian government last year. The announcement was made by the minister of Industry and Foreign Trade Hatem Saleh, according to a press release from the ministry.
The minister said the highest increases were seen in furniture and pharmaceuticals sales, each of which had a 13% increase in exports. Pharmaceuticals sales reached US$ 406.2 million, and furniture sales reached US$ 304.8 million.
According to Saleh, most exporting industries saw good levels of growth. Chemicals and fertilizers exports amounted to US$ 4.36 billion in 2012, up 6% from 2011. Construction machinery exports were up 3% last year, to US$ 2.3 billion. Value-wise, the top exporter was the construction materials industry, at US$ 5.34 billion, though the amount represents merely a 1% increase from 2011.
Other industries saw a decline in exports, such as clothing and textiles (-7%), foodstuffs (-3%), agricultural products (-4%) and leather (-23%).
Saudi Arabia was the main target of Egyptian exports, having imported US$ 1.81 billion last year, up 1% from 2011. The highest percentage increase, however, was Libya’s, at 179%. Egyptian exports to Libya went from US$ 494.6 million in 2011 to US$ 1.37 billion last year. Exports to Turkey were up 6% to US$ 1.13 billion.
Egyptian exports to the United States were down 4%, from US$ 1.4 billion in 2011 to US$ 1.34 billion in 2012. Exports to Italy were also down, from US$ 1.26 billion in 2011 to US$ 1.09 billion last year, down 14%.
Exports from Egypt to Brazil amounted to US$ 251 million in 2012, down 27% from 2011, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. The main products shipped were fertilizers, tyres, glass, plastic sheets, cotton yarn, shaving blades, cement, paraffin, paint, and medical products.
*With the collaboration of Alexandre Rocha. Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
