Cairo – Mubasher: Egypt's non-oil exports increased by $349 million or 16% to $2.560 billion in September, compared to $2.212 billion in the same month a year earlier, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Nevine Gamea, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the most populous Arab nation's imports declined by 7% to $4.914 billion last month, compared to $5.297 billion in September 2020, Gamea added.
Accordingly, the balance of trade deficit narrowed by $732 million or 24% to $2.353 billion in September from $3.085 billion in the same month in 2020.
The new programme of export support has largely contributed to boosting the country's commodity exports, Gamea noted.
The European Union (EU) countries received $739 million worth of exports from Egypt during September, compared to $463 million in the corresponding month a year earlier.
The US accounted for $135 million of Egypt's exports, while exports to non-Arab African countries amounted to $171 million.
Exports with the largest increases included packaging and paper products with a 76% growth, recording $91 million in September, and engineering and electronic exports which rose by 34% to $324 million.
Moreover, exports of chemical products and fertilisers surged by 18% to $469 million from $369 million.
The top export market destinations for Egypt included the US, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Malta, the UAE, Spain, Britain, Northern Ireland, Libya, and Sudan.
