Egypt's Industry Minister, Khaled Hashem, has announced plans to expand the country's exports to African markets. Speaking at the "Scaling Egypt's Industrial Champions" forum, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham Egypt) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Hashem highlighted Africa's significant potential for Egyptian exporters. He noted that intra-African trade reached approximately $214bn in 2025, with Egypt accounting for around 4.4% of this total.
The event brought together government officials, exporters, and development finance specialists to discuss ways to increase Egypt's commercial presence in Africa. Hashem emphasized that Africa offers considerable opportunities for rapid export growth, allowing Egyptian exports to multiply over a relatively short period. He stressed that increasing Egyptian exports to global markets remains a central government objective and a key performance indicator for the industrial sector.
Egyptian exports to African Union countries reached approximately $7.6bn in 2025, with imports from these countries amounting to around $2bn. Total trade between Egypt and African Union countries stood at approximately $9.6bn in 2025. Egypt's main exports to African markets include electrical machinery and equipment, plastics, iron and steel, processed food products, fresh vegetables and fruit, and salt, stone, and cement.
In 2025, Egypt's exports of electrical machinery and equipment to Africa amounted to approximately $633.6m, followed by plastics and plastic products at $544.4m, and iron and steel at $528.3m. Libya was the largest African destination for Egyptian exports, receiving approximately $1.5bn worth of goods in 2025, followed by Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia. Hashem stressed the need to strengthen Egypt's commercial presence in East, West, and Central Africa.
Hashem announced plans to visit Côte d'Ivoire in November to discuss and reach agreements on additional major projects, reinforcing Egypt's economic partnerships with the country. He also revealed that another major project in Tanzania would be announced soon. Hashem called for the support and participation of all key stakeholders to accelerate implementation and achieve the desired results.
Mohamed Kassem, chairman of the Egyptian Exporters Association, emphasized that Africa represents a strategic market for Egyptian businesses, offering considerable opportunities to expand industrial and food exports. He noted that Egypt's export performance in Africa does not adequately reflect the strength of its economic relations with the continent, with a substantial proportion of exports concentrated in North African Arab countries and Sudan.
Kassem called for stronger trade facilitation measures, more efficient shipping and logistics networks, improved market intelligence for exporters, and greater participation in trade fairs and business missions. He also stressed the importance of financing and guarantees to help businesses convert export opportunities into actual commercial contracts. The AmCham Egypt–Afreximbank seminar featured discussions on the practical implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the expansion of bankable demand.
Key points
- Egypt aims to boost exports to Africa, leveraging the continent's growing trade, which hit $214bn in 2025.
- Egyptian exports to African Union countries reached approximately $7.6bn in 2025.
- Egypt seeks to diversify its export destinations in Africa, reducing dependence on a limited number of markets.
