Egypt is seeking to expand its exports to African markets by diversifying destinations, strengthening commercial partnerships and improving access for Egyptian products, as intra-African trade reaches $214 billion.Industry Minister Khaled Hashem made the announcement at the “Scaling Egypt’s Industrial Champions” forum, organised by AmCham Egypt in cooperation with Afreximbank, noting that Africa offers significant potential for Egyptian exporters, particularly in industrial, agricultural, engineering and building-materials products. Intra-African trade reached approximately $214 billion in 2025, marking an annual increase of 5.5 per cent, while total African merchandise trade stood at around $1.5 trillion.
Egypt accounted for approximately 4.4 per cent of intra-African trade, equivalent to around $9.3 billion, with Egyptian exports to African Union countries reaching approximately $7.6 billion in 2025. Hashem said Egypt’s share does not fully reflect the country’s industrial capabilities and production capacity, highlighting the opportunity to increase its presence in markets across the continent.
Egypt’s main exports to African markets include electrical machinery and equipment, plastics, iron and steel, processed food products, fresh vegetables and fruit, as well as salt, stone and cement. Libya was the largest African destination for Egyptian exports, receiving approximately $1.5 billion worth of goods in 2025, followed by Algeria, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia.
Although North African markets remain major destinations, Hashem stressed the need to strengthen Egypt’s commercial presence in East, West and Central Africa, reducing dependence on a limited number of markets and diversifying export destinations. The government is also seeking to turn trade opportunities into investment projects and long-term commercial agreements, with plans to announce a major project in Tanzania and visit Côte d’Ivoire in November to discuss additional agreements.
Egyptian Exporters Association chairman Mohamed Kassem said Africa offered substantial opportunities for industrial and food exports, identifying further opportunities in agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and fertilisers alongside existing industrial exports. He called for more efficient shipping and logistics networks, improved market intelligence, greater participation in trade fairs and business missions, and better access to export financing and guarantees.
The forum also examined how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could help Egyptian businesses access new markets and expand cross-border trade, with participants discussing practical measures to improve market access, facilitate commercial transactions and mobilise financing for export contracts. Stronger coordination between governments, financial institutions, business associations and private companies was identified as an important part of converting opportunities into completed deals.
For Egypt, the challenge is not simply to increase the value of exports, but also to establish a stronger and more diversified presence across African markets, using its industrial capacity and existing commercial relationships to secure a larger share of the continent’s growing market.
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