Arab Finance: Egypt's trade deficit recorded $4.8 billion in April 2026, up 20.2% year-on-year (YoY) from $4 billion, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) data.

Export value increased by 21.1% to $5.1 billion last April, compared to $4.2 billion in April 2025. This growth was backed by a 44.8% hike in exports of petroleum products, a 30% surge in ready-made clothes, a 62.6% leap in fresh fruits, and a 6.8% increase in various pasta and preparations.

The export value of some commodities decreased during April 2026, including fertilizers that shrank by 58.4% YoY. Likewise, exports of iron rods, bars, angles, and wires dropped by 37.6%.

Exports of potatoes fell by 51.2%, and dry legumes declined by 4.4%.

Meanwhile, imports rose by 20.7% YoY to $9.9 billion last April, versus $8.2 billion. This increase was attributed to the higher value of some imports, including wheat by 57.5%, copper and its products by 84.1%, and plastics in primary forms by 16.3%.

On the other hand, the value of some imports fell, such as petroleum products by 4.4% and passenger cars by 22.5%.

In March, the trade deficit soared by 48.8% to $4.6 billion, compared to $3.1 billion in the same month of 2025.